The Tourist
by starry-oblivion
Summary: Bleach crossover. On a topside journey with Splinter, Raphael encounters some strange people in some strange trouble. However, he has no idea that he's getting himself involved in something that might just require him to lay his very soul on the line.
1. Chapter 1

"Well, this is fun. This is _just_ the way I wanted to spend the day after Christmas."

"Raphael," Splinter said warningly. "We must do what we can to provide for this family. Your brothers are each out on their own missions to make sure that we are well-stocked for the new year in terms of technology and other essentials. It is our job to find food, and so we will do what we must in order to-"

"Easy on the lecture, Master Splinter," Raphael interrupted. "I know why we gotta do what we do, so I ain't complainin' about that. It's dressin' up like a couple 'a cloaked fantasy characters that bug me. Can't we just wait until Casey 'n April get back from their vacation and ask _them_ to get us some grub?"

Adjusting the hood around his head, Splinter responded, "Donatello has received word of a possible blizzard over the weekend, which may force our friends to extend their vacation. We cannot rely upon their kindness forever."

"How about _almost _forever?" Raphael asked with a smirk, poking his head around the corner to ensure their solitude. "I can deal with almost forever."

"Raphael!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the turtle remarked, covering even more of his face with his red scarf as he and his sensei continued on their way. "Gotta be proud 'n self-sufficient. That's why we're foragin' for food at the local bodega before hittin' up the homeless shelters."

"You are more than welcome to venture into a brightly-lit Stop 'n Shop and see how you fare," Splinter told him wryly. Raphael let out a single laugh, knowing his teacher to be right. It was a fact of life that he's learned to live with.

Splinter suddenly stopped, tilting his head as though listening to something. Raphael did the same. Though they were on a fairly empty street in Brooklyn, a sound carried over from amidst the nearby warehouses and loading docks. Try as he might, Raphael couldn't figure out what he was hearing. It sounded like a girl's voice, but he couldn't make out any words.

Splinter grabbed his arm, pulling him behind one of the warehouses. "This way," he said hurriedly. "Quickly, my son! She is in danger!"

"Who is?" Raphael asked, following after Splinter. "From what? How do you know?"

"A young girl," Splinter answered. "Hardly more than a child. Her cries were in Japanese, and what I could make out leads me to believe that there is something truly frightening threatening her and someone close to her."

"Say no more," Raphael said, hurrying in front of Splinter. As he withdrew his sai, he growled, "I'll go teach this thing a lesson it ain't ever gonna forget!" Hardly hearing Splinter's calls to be careful, Raphael leapt around the empty building, emerging behind the Metropolitan Bridge.

He stopped suddenly, trying to assess what it was he saw before him. Or rather, what he _almost_ saw before him. Two young girls were floating about fifteen feet above the water, seemingly ensnared by what appeared to Raphael as a vague, shimmery outline. "What the shell is this?" Raphael barked out. "Attack 'a the Giant Jellyfish?"

"Raphael!" The turtle looked back to see Splinter catching up to him, gaping at the scene before them. "I have seen creatures such as this before. We must destroy it before those children's souls are eaten."

"Souls? Eaten?" Raphael looked back at the captive girls, wanting to do something but not knowing what. "O… Okay, I'm with ya on the savin' 'em, Splinter. But… where do I hit? I don't see nuthin' but a blob 'a… _somethin_' holdin' 'em up."

"You cannot….?" Splinter began, but then looked back towards the water determinedly. "Of course. Your spirit sense is possibly among the lowest of your brothers. Come, I shall…. Wait, what is this?"

Utterly confused, Raphael clenched his sai and slowly approached the water, trying to figure out what was going on. The girl with the lighter hair seemed to be unconscious, while the darker-haired one was looking up and screaming something. While her cries had been in desperation before, they now seemed more hopeful. He tried to see whatever it was she saw, but all he could make out was another wavering outline jumping into the fray.

"I cannot believe…." Splinter murmured from behind him. "How long has it been since I have seen a shinigami?"

"A shini-_what_i?!" Raphael asked. He was startled when the two girls started to fall into the water. Alarmed, he ran towards them to help them out, ignoring Splinter's calls to stay back. If there was an invisible battle going on in front of him, he _definitely_ wasn't going to let a couple of little girls get caught in the crossfire.

He dove into the cold, murky water, wishing he had thought to take his heavy winter apparel off before jumping in. Hoping that not thinking about it would stave off the pneumonia, he quickly found the limp figure of the unconscious girl. Swimming towards her, he took her in his arms and looked for her friend. When he couldn't find her, he surfaced, intending to leave the first girl on land as he searched for her companion.

Raphael was shocked to see the raven-haired girl floating a couple of inches above the concrete, as though clinging to an unseen being. As he swam towards her, she caught sight of him and pointed at him, screaming something in Japanese. It sounded almost as though she kept repeating that she had an "itchy knee." _Stupid language barrier,_ Raphael thought as he got closer. _I could do without the invisible people __floatin__' around on top 'a all this-_

He stopped, seeming to suddenly become aware of a powerful presence in the vicinity. The dark-haired girl was set on the ground, and Raphael could almost see something shoot up towards the sky. Keeping his eye on the thing that he could almost see, Raphael cried out, "Whoa, waitaminute," just before submerging his head in an effort to dodge whatever was coming for him.

This time, he stayed underneath the water until he was right by the bridge. Coughing in the cold, he stuck his head out and looked around. He could hear Splinter's voice, but couldn't figure out what he was saying. _This is __gonna__ be one '__a them__ days_, he thought when he suddenly felt something strong grasp his shoulder.

The girl was suddenly pulled out of his grip, and Raphael quickly moved to get her back. By the time he realized that he was playing a cruel game of tug-of-war with an invisible opponent, he had already lost. He threw a fist at the unseen foe, but cried out when he felt a hand clamp down on it and push him back with so much force that he crashed against the concrete support beam of the bridge.

"_Chotto__matte_!" Splinter cried out, suddenly appearing on the low bridge and reaching a hand down towards Raphael. "This can all be explained, I promise you! Raphael, take my hand. Shinigami, return that child to the surface and go back to your world. You surely have more pressing matters to deal with than the likes of us."

"Itchy knee," the dark-haired girl said as she slowly stepped in besides Splinter. "It's okay." Judging by her thick accent, Raphael could tell that she wasn't exactly a local.

"Ichi-nii, eh?" Splinter remarked, looking at her kindly. "Am I to understand that this is your brother, then? You must be proud to be related to a death god."

"To a what?!" Raphael sputtered, scrambling for land. Wiping the excess water from his face, he glared at the girl suspiciously. "Death god? Somebody wanna explain to me what the heck is goin' on here?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke up. Raphael turned to see a tall, lanky boy with bright orange hair edging out of the warehouse, holding what looked like some kind of stuffed animal. "You just interrupted a casual hollow slaying by the great substitute shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo! If not for his superior skill, you surely would have muddled it up! I knew, I just _knew_ that coming here was a huge mistake! The people of this country don't understand what's sacred anymore. It's a sad, sad thing when- _urk_!"

Raphael raised an eye ridge when it seemed as though someone grabbed hold of the crazy kid's spiky hair and was dragging him away. He tried to talk to the dark-haired girl, but he saw that she was occupied with looking after her friend, who had been laid besides him. Looking up at Splinter, Raphael begged, "Sensei, level with me: what's goin' on around here?"

"Sensei," asked the brunette. She looked at the rat and the turtle inquiringly. "We try to get peace and quiet over the holidays and end up running into a giant, talking turtle and his rat-sensei. Between that and the evil spirit that almost had us for lunch, and I'd say that New York's not too different from Karakura."

Slowly, the girl with the short light brown hair began to stir. "Yuzu," whispered her friend as she gave her her coat to keep her warm. "Yuzu, _daijoubu desuka_?" Yuzu opened her eyes and began to look around. When she caught sight of the wet turtle besides her, she screamed and scrambled away, almost falling back into the water and taking the other girl with her. "No, no, Yuzu, it's okay. Okay. They're not bad spirits. I don't think they're even spirits at all." Looking back at Raphael and Splinter, she asked, "Are you?"

"No," Splinter answered, taking off his dry cloak and offering it to Raphael. "But I am afraid that he may turn into an icicle if we do not find refuge from the cold."

"I'm okay," Raphael said, his teeth chattering as he began removing his wet clothes. "I'm more concerned with figurin' out what's goin' on. Who are you two, and who was that guy with the dyed hair back there? And why were ya floatin' 'n screamin' behind the Metro Bridge?"

"It's not dyed," said a voice behind him. Getting to his knees, Raphael looked back and saw the orange-haired guy coming back out of the warehouse, brushing himself off as though just escaping a harrowing encounter. Though it was definitely the same person, his voice was different and his demeanor was noticeably changed. He still carried the stuffed animal in his left hand, though he treated it with significantly less regard.

Raising his brown eyes to meet Raphael's, he said, "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Or Ichigo Kurosaki, as you'd say in America. I'm a part-time death god. Those are my little sisters, Yuzu and Karin." Raising the hand with the stuffed animal, he absently added, "And this is Kon."

The stuffed animal actually waved its arm as it said, "Pleased to meet you!" Raphael's eyes widened, but he said nothing. After all, if he can believe in mutant ninja turtles and entertain the idea of "part-time death gods"—whatever _that_ meant—then a sentient stuffed lion shouldn't be too much to swallow. What bothered him was that this "Kon" spoke with the same voice that had come out of Ichigo's mouth only moments ago.

"That's probably more information than you need, though," Ichigo continued, seeming to need some time to pick out the proper words. Speaking in English appeared to annoy him, despite the fact that he seemed to have a decent grasp on the language. "As far as you're concerned, we're just a family of tourists from Karakura Town, and that's the way it's going to stay. Oi Karin, Yuzu. Let's go."

As the girls picked themselves up (with Yuzu giving both embarrassed and reluctant bows to Raphael and Splinter), Ichigo turned and was already headed back towards Metropolitan Avenue. "Hey!" Raphael cried out, staggering to his feet. Though Splinter put a hand on his arm, Raphael ignored it and stumbled after the boy and his sisters. "Hey, waitaminute! You can't just-" He interrupted himself with a sharp coughing fit.

Ichigo glanced back at the two mutants as Splinter wrapped his cloak around Raphael, who suddenly seemed the worse for wear. _Cold-blooded_, the shinigami realized. _Whatever he is, he's __definitely more reptilian than human. After that dip in the water, his immune system is likely to kick his ass._

"Ichi-nii?" Ichigo looked down to see that Yuzu had stopped and was looking back at the two strange creatures that they were leaving behind. Karin had also noticed that the thing that saved her sister was quickly falling ill.

After another bout of coughing, Raphael wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up, expecting to see the strange family walking away in the distance. He was surprised to see that they were still just a few yards away. The one called Yuzu was speaking excitedly up towards Ichigo, who was looking at Raphael with a rather irritated expression. "What?" Raphael asked him. "What's she sayin'?"

With a sigh, Ichigo turned to face Raphael. "She said you look like crap," he told the turtle bluntly. Surprised, Raphael was about to start an argument when Ichigo added, "And she also said that some green tea and a warm blanket would probably do the _both_ of you some good. We just happen to have plenty of those where we're staying, which is three blocks up that way. The question is, can you make it those three blocks, or am I going to have to carry you?"

Raphael gave Ichigo a confused look. Though the words were thrown about carelessly, the sincerity behind them was clear. A teenaged death god who offered tea and blankets to cold mutants? Just what exactly is going on here? "It does not appear as though Kurosaki-san is giving us much of a choice in saying 'yes' or 'no,'" Splinter observed.

With Splinter helping Raphael, the two of them began following after the Kurosaki siblings.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you better, Raphael-san?"

Raphael looked up at the young girl named Yuzu. Out of her siblings, her English was probably the poorest. Still, it was leagues better than his Japanese, and Yuzu seemed to be one of those girls who hated to make others go out of their way. "Yeah," he responded, breathing in the aromatic tea that she had given him and nestling in the warm blankets that Ichigo had gotten for him. "Feelin' a lot better now, kid. Thanks. Or, uh, _arigato_, right?" He smiled when he saw her nod cheerily.

They were all sitting in a circle on the thinly-carpeted floor of the main room of the siblings' suite. Raphael hadn't even known about the existence of this little motel just a couple of blocks off of Metropolitan Avenue. According to Ichigo, none of them had really wanted to stay in Manhattan since the main reason behind this vacation was just to calm down and spend some time together as a family, seeing the sights at their leisure. Raphael noticed Ichigo's distracted look when he mentioned that they were pointed towards this dinghy little place by a "friend of the family's… sort of." When Splinter asked if they had come with their parents, Ichigo replied that their father was a doctor and didn't like taking vacation time around this time of year, since the number of accidents is always ridiculous even for a little local clinic like theirs. No one said anything when Ichigo neglected to mention their mother.

"I met a shinigami a while ago," Ichigo told them after Raphael asked him to explain this "part-time death god" business. "My family was in danger of being killed by a Hollow, which are those evil spirits that you saw earlier. The shinigami was gravely injured, and so passed on her powers to me so that I could rescue them. After a long chain of events, it was decided by the Soul Society that I would be a substitute shinigami, should they ever need me. My family only recently discovered this, and I think that may be why my father didn't want to come along…."

"Ichi-nii," Karin broke in. "That's not true! He's proud of you… but then, he's proud of pretty much anyone he's ever met." Her voice dry, she remarked, "Our father's enthusiasm is enough to make you want to travel across the planet just to be away from him for a few days."

"Karin!" Yuzu scolded even as Ichigo and Raphael both snickered. "Don't. It is very… disrespect?" She looked to Splinter, as though for help with her vocabulary. He nodded gently. Encouraged by this, she turned back to Karin. "Very disrespect," she repeated a little more confidently.

"That still leaves us to ask," Splinter brought up, "about this thing that you called a Hollow. I have seen them several times in Japan, but I have long thought that they have ceased to exist. Indeed, calling them simply 'evil spirits' was a deliberate simplification on your part, Kurosaki-san, but I shall forgive you for it in the hopes that it will keep this as uncomplicated as such matters can be. I would like to know if that was the first Hollow you encountered since coming to this country, and if it differed at all from the ones you have fought in Japan."

"What _I_ wanna know is," Raphael interrupted, "what the heck is _that_ thing?" At that, he pointed towards the golden-brown lion who had been introduced as Kon. Kon, who had until then been eating some leftover holiday M&Ms from a plastic bag, stopped what he was doing and looked up at Raphael. Judging by his raised eyebrow, he didn't like being referred to as a "thing." Never one to be unnerved by a dirty look, Raphael added, "It wouldn't freak me out so much to see a livin' toy- since I've definitely seen weirder things than _that_- but what bugs me is that you was talkin' with his voice earlier and kept referrin' to yourself in the third-person, makin' me wonder…."

"Kon is a modified soul," Ichigo explained disinterestedly. "A soul without a body. His essence is balled inside a small pill. When that pill is put inside a body, that body's soul is forced out and Kon takes over, even if it _is _just a toy's body. My soul might have shinigami powers, but my body doesn't. I have a way to get my soul out when I need to fight, but that leaves my body as just an unconscious lump of flesh. When I'm worried that something might happen to it and need to transform in a hurry, I take Kon out of that lion and swallow the pill, so he can take my body to safety. Running seems to be what he does best."

"I would argue against that maligned logic," Kon said in what sounded to Raphael like an argumentative tone, "but it almost sounds as though you phrased it that way just to purposely goad me." Turning to Raphael now, he added, "And appearances shouldn't be enough to 'freak you out,' my green-skinned friend. I'd make a comment about looking in a mirror, but that would go against my job description as mascot." In a more forlorn voice, he murmured, "Not a very dignified job, no, but times have changed and I have learned long ago that even someone as powerful as I must succumb to-"

Even as Kon continued to lament, Ichigo began speaking about the serious topic that Splinter had brought up before Raphael's inquiry about the modified soul. "As for that Hollow, it's not only the first one I've seen here, but the first I've seen in a long time. Things have been quiet lately, which is why Urahara—the friend of the family's, so to speak—suggested that now was a good time to take a trip. I wouldn't put it past him, though, to know that something was going on in this side of the world, and just use this trip as a… as a pretense or something."

Seeing the contemplative look in Ichigo's eyes and the downcast eyes on both of the girls, and noting that even Kon had quieted down, Raphael asked, "Whaddaya mean by somethin' goin' on? I mean, this Ura-ura guy wouldn't send ya packin' on some shinigami mission with your two little sisters in tow, would he? I mean, that'd be kinda heartless."

"Good luck predicting anything Urahara might do," Ichigo scoffed. "Truth be told, there's no one I know that's more distrustful than him. Yet somehow, I find myself trusting him with my life more often than I like to admit."

"Such is what many people have to say about Urahara Kisuke," Splinter said quietly.

"Eh?" Ichigo asked, looking up at Splinter. "You know him?"

"I gathered that it was him," Splinter replied with a small knowing smile. "It would seem odd for there to be _two_ mysterious Uraharas who are friendly with the shinigami. Does he still keep that cat of his, Yoruichi?"

With a nod, Ichigo said, "I guess the world is a lot smaller than we give it credit for. Don't tell me you used to be a shinigami?"

"No," was Splinter's response. "I was merely the pet of a man who kept many interesting acquaintances. I would be amazed if Urahara-sama remembers me, as I am quite changed from when we last met."

"Yeah," Ichigo brought up, somewhat uncomfortably. "I wasn't sure how to ask it but, uh… what _are_ you? You're obviously not spirits of any kind, but you're not exactly human, either. _Were_ you, once? Or were you… something else?"

Raphael finished his tea and was feeling much better by the time Splinter was about halfway done with their origin story. This was also about the time that a small beeping sound came from Ichigo's pocket. Ichigo jumped, not having expected it, but calmed down when he seemed to remember what it was. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small silver cell phone. He glanced at the display screen and seemed to ponder whether or not he should answer. Finally, he stood and excused himself, walking into what Raphael assumed to be one of the bedrooms.

"Don't stop," Karin requested of Splinter, seeming genuinely interested. "We can fill Ichi-nii in later. What happened after your students got defeated by Oroku Saki? They met again, yes? They kicked butt, yes?"

"While we wait," Yuzu asked sheepishly, "what is 'ooze' and 'mutagen'?"

Raphael would have found the girls' interest cute, had it not been for the worried way Kon gazed at the door through which Ichigo had disappeared. Apparently, Splinter and at least Karin were able to see Ichigo in his shinigami form and see Hollows, but Raphael was somehow blind to it. Splinter mentioned something about him not having a high enough "spirit sense." Could Kon's spirit sense be high enough to know that something's wrong? _Don't be stupid_, Raphael told himself, attempting to reach over for Kon's discarded candy. _Before ya thought he was just a stupid stuffed animal, and now ya know he's just a stupid pill _inside_ of a stuffed animal. There ain't no way that-_

"Kon!" Ichigo suddenly called from within the room. "Get in here!"

Kon quickly scrambled to his feet and scurried towards the door, pushing it shut once he was inside. Splinter's story was still on pause as he and Raphael looked towards the door in apprehension. Yuzu murmured something in Japanese, to which Karin nodded. When Raphael asked what she had said, Karin answered, "Ichi-nii's on a mission. He's probably going to ask Kon to pretend to be him for a while so we don't get worried. Ever since we found out about him, though, Kon's just stopped pretending. Either that, or he's a really bad actor."

As though he were a bad actor a little too early for his cue, Ichigo stepped out of the room, his face scrunched up as though trying to look as perpetually stern as he usually did. "Kon, uh, decided to take a nap," Ichigo proclaimed, moving to sit in his former spot besides Karin. "So, um… yes. Story. What comes next in the story?"

He flinched as Karin hit him hard in the back of the head. "_Baka_! We know it's you, Kon! Where'd Ichigo go this time?"

Rubbing his bruised head, Ichigo/Kon professed, "I don't know! He said he got a call about a Hollow alert and wanted me to watch you."

"A Hollow alert?" Splinter asked. "From whom? And where?"

"I don't know," Ichigo/Kon repeated. "My guess would be either Urahara or Rukia—that is, the shinigami who originally loaned him her powers. For him to be called despite being on a so-called vacation would imply that it was local."

"Local?" Raphael asked, sitting straight up. "As in, another one 'a those things here in the city?"

"Certainly," Ichigo/Kon replied. "They wouldn't exactly call him back to Karakura Town. His shinigami powers are amazing, but they rely mostly on his strength, not his speed. And even with his speed while he's in his _bankai_ form, it would still be horribly inconvenient for him to travel across the continent and the ocean to get back home when Abarai-kun or-"

"And ya got no way of knowin' exactly where he's headed?" Raphael barked out, standing and approaching the modified soul in the spiky-haired teenager's body.

Not liking the advancement, Ichigo/Kon replied, "No. None whatsoever."

His hand going down to the handles of his sai, Raphael asked in a low voice, "Are ya _sure_ of that?"

As though suddenly remembering, Ichigo/Kon said, "Now that you mention it, I suppose I _could_ track his _rietsu_—that is, his spirit power—if I concentrate hard enough." He let out a rather worried cry when Raphael grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, headed towards the door leading into the corridor.

"Raphael!" Splinter called. "Kurosaki-san can handle this. If those in charge of Soul Society saw him fit to be considered a substitute shinigami, then his skills are impressive. And besides, unless you get some rest, you are liable to fall gravely ill."

"Sensei," Raphael told him as he turned to look back at him, "this is _my_ city. If there are some crazy evil spirits that go around eatin' souls runnin' loose, then it's more my responsibility than it is _his_ to make sure that they go down."

"He's a shinigami!" Ichigo/Kon reminded him. "It's his job! He has the skills, the training, the power, and most importantly, the _experience_ to get rid of a simple Hollow. With him invisible to the eyes of a city as spiritually blind as this one, this is a simple matter that will probably bring him back here before Splinter-sama's story is over! But with a giant turtle on the loose, it's liable to draw some unwanted attention that might just get you in trouble with Soul Society, which is having enough problems on its own. You don't want to become a burden to Soul Society; they deal with their burdens in a most unsympathetic way. And besides, on top of all of that, you can't even _see_ spirits!"

Raphael brought Ichigo/Kon close to his face and lowly asked, "No. But _you_ can, can't you?"

Ichigo/Kon blinked a few times in surprise before flailing his arms and crying out, "I will _not_ be your bloodhound! You can't do this! I have been charged with watching over two damsels who may become distressed if something were to happen to their beloved mascot!"

"Meh," Karin piped up. "Splinter-san can stay with us. Go along with him." Ichigo/Kon's jaw nearly dropped to the ground at Karin's flippant attitude. Looking at Raphael now, Karin sincerely spoke, "Ichi-nii's strong, but even I know that he'd be nowhere if he didn't have his friends to help him. At the very least, they give him something to protect. And when you have something to protect, you become much stronger. So if Raphael-san wants to protect Ichi-nii, I don't think he'll get in the way or even get sick."

Almost reluctantly, she added, "Kon's right, though. If you can't see spirits, you'll have a hard time. Kon can fight, but Ichi-nii wants him to take care of his body. If you don't know anyone else with a stronger spirit sense than you do, maybe you should forget about it."

"If you truly want to help Kurosaki-san," Splinter said after a moment, "then you will do all you can, and nothing more. Just be aware that, in my experience, the shinigami are extremely proud. It is not often that they will accept the help of strangers without a good deal of argument. It is not likely that Kurosaki-san will differ from them in this respect."

"Right," Raphael remarked. "So all I gotta do is pull him away from the Hollow, chat with him for a bit about the Knicks or somethin', become his buddy, and _then_ help him out. No problem. You're talkin' to somebody who's saved the world a few times in his day, Master Splinter." With that, he pulled the still-flailing Ichigo/Kon out the door.

Karin couldn't help wonder if _all_ teenaged boys behaved that way, regardless of species.

* * *

"Okay Raph, this had better… whoa, who is _this_?"

Leonardo watched as Raphael held a Japanese boy with orange hair against a brick wall. "Leo, I'm gonna explain," Raphael said quickly, "but we don't got much time, so it might be confusin'. This is Ichigo. Except it's not really Ichigo in there, but Kon. Ichigo's soul is off fightin' some evil spirit called a Hollow that eats souls. Because I've apparently got no spirit sense whatsoever, I figured that you bein' a little teacher's pet might just come in handy. So Kon here has 'volunteered' to help us track down Ichigo so we can help him get rid 'a some big bad that's found its way to our city. Huh, maybe that wasn't so confusin' after all."

"No," Leonardo replied sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not confusing in the least. I think it would've made more sense if you told me that you were holding some kid hostage for money to buy a late Christmas gift."

"For real, Leo," Raphael urged on, ignoring Ichigo/Kon's cry as he grabbed his arm and pulled him forwards. "We've seen too much crazy stuff together for ya to scoff me now. Splinter's takin' care 'a Ichigo's sisters while Kon and I look for Ichigo himself. The more I talk to Kon, the more I worry about what's goin' on. He said Ichigo was actin' weird before he left."

"Was that before or after they switched bodies?" Leonardo asked.

"Oh, how I _wish_ Ichigo could live in that shell," Ichigo/Kon suddenly said. "Though I must admit that I've found the undeniably attractive features within it and have learned how to emphasize them, it's just far too limiting. The only time I truly get to shine is when I'm in Ichigo's body which, thankfully, is no uglier than your average moderately attractive human. And his female friends are so, _so_ pretty, with lovely, gorgeous, soft-"

"Kon, what'd I tell ya about openin' your mouth?" Raphael growled.

Ichigo/Kon fell momentarily silent before stating, "Technically, it's Ichigo's mouth."

"Ho-kay," Leonardo breathed, his eyes widening at Ichigo/Kon's fast-paced speech. "I'm guessing that this is either a very elaborate hoax, or you really do need my help to fight an evil spirit before it eats anyone's soul. So, what exactly do I do?"

"I… don't know," Raphael confessed. "Kon said he could track Ichigo, so I figure that we'll follow him until we come across the fight. From what everyone's been sayin', it sounds like this 'spirit sense' stuff is somethin' you're born with, something you either have or don't have, and since you're all meditative-like, I figured… I dunno… that you'd be the guy to talk to."

"So what does that mean?" Leonardo asked.

"It means you can see 'em," Raphael told him.

Leonardo said nothing before he put a hand to his temple in exasperation. "Wait, wait, wait… somehow, you've gotten mixed up with a guy who can trade souls with someone and fight evil spirits… and you want to _help _fight the evil spirits… but you can't _see_ them?"

"_I_ can't," Raphael said defensively. "But Kon can, and I'm hopin' _you_ can, too. And if ya can see the Hollows, then that means ya can see Ichigo when he's in his shinigami form, which makes things easier, too."

"Shini-?" Leonardo started. "Shinigami? Wait, this Ichigo kid's a _death god_? Wha… okay, I'm so beyond confused that I don't think I can handle any more alleged 'explanations.' You said we're on a time crunch, so just show me where we need to be and I'll do what I can."

"Rationality, discipline," Ichigo/Kon noted while looking at Leonardo. "Though you look almost exactly the same, your differences are fantastic. I suppose the color masks you wear symbolize your temperament. That would be the logical- gah!" Before he could go off on another monologue, Raphael pushed Ichigo/Kon in front of them.

"Just lead us towards Ichigo," Raphael snarled, "or he's gonna be pissed when he sees what I did to his body."


	3. Chapter 3

"Kon, is there any reason you're clingin' to my shell like a scared little girl?"

Ichigo/Kon looked at Raphael scornfully. "Surely you jest," he remarked. "Why on Earth would I, the great and powerful-"

"That was a rhetorical statement, ya coward," Raphael muttered, shaking Kon off of him. "Judgin' by your antsy behavior and the way you've been babblin' ever since we got to Williamsburg, I'm guessin' we're getting' close."

"You really _can't_ feel it," Leonardo murmured. "Remarkable." Raphael looked at him, confused, before he saw that his brother had caught sight of something just past them. When Raphael turned to see what it was, he noticed that Ichigo/Kon had ducked behind Leonardo, trying to make it seem like he had simply meandered in that direction.

Raphael looked about. It was the middle of a cold evening, and the streets were as quiet as they usually were the day after a big holiday. Judging by the elementary school nearby, most people around here were either still in the commute from work or out enjoying a winter break from classes. _At least no kids are gonna get caught up in this_, he thought as he kept a weather eye out for signs of trouble.

The trio ducked when a nearby stop sign suddenly dented, as though something had been catapulted at it with great speed. Apparently, Ichigo/Kon and Leonardo both saw something, but Raphael remained frustrated when he realized that he could only faintly feel another presence in the vicinity.

"Is _that_ your shinigami?" Leonardo asked, gaping at the stop sign.

Ichigo/Kon didn't answer. When Raphael looked at him, he saw that Ichigo's brown eyes were focused on something unseen coming from behind the school building. "M- m- m-," he finally stuttered. "_Menos Grande_."

"Buh-wha-?" Raphael sputtered. "I thought you was from Japan. Ain't that Spanish?"

"Oh shell," Leonardo suddenly breathed, looking in the same direction as Ichigo/Kon.

Raphael whirled around again. Though he still couldn't see anything, he definitely felt it now. There was something huge, something powerful, and something inherently _evil_ approaching them. And whatever it was, it rendered Leonardo speechless and was enough to force Ichigo/Kon to scramble towards the warped stop sign, trying to revive the invisible person who apparently lay on the concrete.

"Talk to me, Leo," Raphael said, withdrawing his sai. "Where is it? Where're its vitals? C'mon, I didn't call ya so you could stare at the scenery."

Leonardo shook his head, trying to snap out of it. "Sorry, I… I've never seen anything like it." When Raphael once again asked where he should strike, Leonardo shook his head and tried to pull Raphael back. "Raph, if you can't see it, then you really shouldn't-"

"_Where_ is it, Leo?!"

Leonardo didn't answer for a moment. Instead, he took a step back. Raphael knew that something was drastically wrong, considering that Leonardo was _never_ one to back down from a fight with a bad guy. "Raph… it's bigger than the school."

Raphael blinked at Leonardo before turning back to the empty spot where something stood. Bigger than the school? Taller than the five-story school building? Can something really be that huge and not make the ground shake as it moved? Did things like this really move about on a day-to-day basis, going completely undetected by those normal individuals who didn't have a high spirit sense? For once, Raphael found himself lumped into the "normal" category, and he loathed it.

"Raph! Move!" Raphael hardly had the time to react before Leonardo put his arms around him and tackled him to the ground, rolling them across the street. Raphael was dimly aware of a car approaching, and his blood froze in his veins when he heard the squeal of tires. He pushed Leonardo off of him and just managed to see something hit the small Toyota and send it skidding across the street. Both turtles scattered away from the vehicle before it rolled towards them, stopping on its roof.

"Raph, help whoever's inside!" Leonardo ordered. "I'll do what I can with this _Menos…_ whatever." Before Raphael could object, Leonardo had already drawn his swords and was racing towards the violent emptiness.

Raphael growled deep in his throat. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. Whatever that _Menos Grande_ thing was, it apparently beat the crap out of Ichigo, and he had only been about ten minutes ahead of them. He knew that battles were quick, but he would have thought that death gods could….

_Can death gods die?_ The thought pushed its way into Raphael's head, causing him to pause on his way towards the Toyota. He looked back at Ichigo/Kon, and it looked like he was dragging something away. A body? No… technically, it was a soul. _He_ was the body. Raphael thought back on Karin and Yuzu and tried to imagine what would happen to them if Ichigo didn't make it back.

_No time,_ he realized, continuing towards the overturned car. _If I don't work fast, we might have more bodies lyin' around than I'd like._ He didn't smell any gasoline, so that was good. At least he didn't have to worry about a climactic explosion or anything like that. Still, he had to move quickly. He was surprised that no one had come at the sound of the screeching tires.

He knelt by the driver's side and saw a woman strapped into her seat, limp and bloody. Raphael tried not to think about how very lifeless she looked and instead reached in and began undoing the seatbelt, careful to cradle the woman's head. There was something on her chest that kept entangling itself with the seatbelt, making his job more difficult. He finally managed to free her and gently pulled her out of the wreckage. He picked her up and set her down a few feet away, just to be on the safe side. It wasn't until he stood and looked down at her that he realized what was wrong.

The thing on her chest was a chain. It looked like a heavy metal chain, the sort of thing that you'd be more likely to see in a dungeon than in the middle of New York City. Raphael stooped down and traced his fingers over it. Something about it seemed ethereal, as though it would fade away if he pulled his focus away. Even though the battle behind him sounded dangerous, he discovered that he couldn't bring himself to look away from the strange attachment this young women had on her trunk.

He unbuttoned her coat and then the blouse beneath it, looking for the source of the chain. It was embedded into her flesh, disappearing under the skin. It didn't look like it was a foreign object, though. Something about it seemed eerily natural. He traced the chain and looked for its other end. It looked as though something had once been attached to the other end, but had broken free.

_Something… but what?_

Raphael shuddered. Something was happening here. Something important. He tried not to let his frustration get the best of him. Instead, he remained quiet. Calm. Focused. And soon he heard it. Crying.

He turned around. By the lamppost on the corner, he saw a figure sitting on the ground and sobbing. He froze for a moment. Her shining black hair. Her gray wool coat. The hint of a purple blouse beneath. It was the same person as the woman at his feet. The _dead_ woman at his feet.

He didn't know which was worse: the fact that someone had died in front of him, or the fact that he could see her ghost. Or maybe it was the fact that he _knew_ it was her ghost. Or maybe it was the fact that he had always had the ability to see ghosts, if he had only kept his louder emotions in check. _Trippy_, he thought, putting a hand to his head. _I think I'm gettin' a little dizzy._

"Easy there," he suddenly heard a voice say. "Easy. Don't cry, miss." Raphael looked around, trying his best not to get flustered and thus lose this ability so soon after having acquired it. Though he couldn't see him, Raphael recognized the voice as Ichigo's.

"I know it seems sudden and horrible," Ichigo continued. The woman looked up, as though seeing someone directly in front of her. If he tried, Raphael could make out a dim distortion in the air, in much the same way he had _almost_ seen the Hollow by the Metro Bridge. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this. The least I can do is to send you where you're supposed to go quickly and painlessly."

"Is it Heaven?" The question hardly left the woman's lips before a bluish-white light shone from her forehead. Raphael found that he had to shield his eyes from the bright glare. He panicked for a moment, seeing the woman's body fade. He couldn't lose this, not yet.

By the time the glare subsided, the woman was gone. Raphael wondered what had become of her, and was momentarily distracted by the appearance of a small black butterfly. It flitted towards him before moving upwards. He followed it with his eyes until he could no longer distinguish it from the dark night.

"You could see the hell butterfly, couldn't you?" Raphael almost gasped as he looked around. Ichigo's voice had been close, but he still couldn't see him. "Hm. I'm still invisible to you, though. But you can hear me, and you could see that spirit. I'm wondering if that means that you can see the _Menos_."

Having almost forgotten about the fight that he had come here to help with, Raphael quickly looked back towards the public school building. His eyes widened as he finally saw what it was that had scared Kon and set Leonardo ill at ease.

Saying that it was bigger than the school was a gross understatement. It was at least twice the size of the building, and decked in a long black cloak. Its white face looked either skeletal or mask-like; Raphael couldn't tell which. But when it reached a bony hand towards Leonardo, who had somehow made it atop the school's roof, Raphael snapped out of it.

"Oh yeah," he growled. "I can see it."

"Good," the still-unseen Ichigo replied. "Then let's see an urban ninja at work."

Sai in hand, Raphael ran towards the freakish thing that was going to try and make for his brother. He scaled the iron fence to the schoolyard in a flash, hoping to get the _Menos'_ attention. He did. The thing slowly turned to regard him. "All right, chump. Ya caused enough damage for one day."

"Raph, you can see it?" Raphael didn't get to answer Leonardo's question. A crimson flash came from the creature's mouth, aimed towards Raphael.

"Move, Raphael," Ichigo told him. "That's _cero_, one of its deadliest attacks!"

It seemed to take a moment for the _cero_ to get warmed up, and so Raphael took this moment to ask, "Is that what caused the accident?" Ichigo said nothing. The flare intensified, and Raphael yelled, "Ichigo, is that what killed that girl?!"

"Yes," Ichigo replied lowly.

Just then, _cero_ was shot towards Raphael. He dodged the attack, despite its enormity. He again marveled over the amount of property damage and the lack of eyewitnesses. _I'll kill this thing_, he thought as he scaled the school building. _I'll kill it with my bare hands._

He turned to see the thing reach out for him and jumped, ready to land on its arm and use that to launch himself at the _Menos'_ face. When he took to the air, his eyes widened. The _Menos_ in front of him wavered before quickly fading away. _No! No way! I… Is it gone?_

Raphael landed then, and got a sense of vertigo when he felt the ground move. Looking down, he saw that he was standing on some imperceptible platform. The _Menos_ was still there… just invisible to Raphael's eyes. _Oh crud_.

"Good call, Raph!" Raphael saw Leonardo jump from his post and land besides him. "Let's take this thing down before it hurts anyone else!" He ran deftly up a nonexistent path, presumably up the length of the _Menos'_ arm.

Raphael was having a difficult enough time keeping his balance on something he couldn't see. Still, he gritted his teeth and tried to follow Leonardo as precisely as he could. He almost fell a few times, but his ninja training aided in his fight against an unseen opponent.

When Leonardo lunged with his weapons, Raphael did the same. The ground disappeared beneath him, and he was hanging onto his sai, which were embedded in something. The creature that they had attacked made broad gestures, hopefully in pain.

"Drop!" Ichigo called from somewhere behind and below. The turtles looked at one another and pulled their weapons out, landing on their feet on the cold cement. Hearing Ichigo cry out something else, Raphael grabbed Leonardo's arm and ran to the side just before something large and formidable blew past them.

Both brothers were forced to their knees, ducking their heads and thankful for their protective shells. All the while, Raphael could feel himself shake. What happened? What went wrong? He had somehow managed to achieve a high enough spirit sense to see a spirit and a _Menos_… and lost it just as quickly. Did it have something to do with his focus? His anger?

_Anger's what helps me fight in the first place,_ he told himself. _I know Splinter says I gotta control it, 'n I do. But… if I didn't wanna avenge that woman, what woulda been the point 'a fightin'? _ And then another question came up: _If she hadn't died, what woulda been the point 'a fightin'?_

He didn't get to answer these questions, though. Someone placed a cold hand on his shoulder, causing Raphael to jerk his head up. When he looked back, he saw that Ichigo was standing behind him and Leonardo, a hand on each of their shoulders. He was surprised by how stern the young boy's face was.

"Raphael," he said quietly. "I appreciate the effort, but don't ever do that again. You could have gotten yourself _and_ your friend in trouble." He stood then and offered them each a hand to help them up. Leonardo accepted it. Raphael slapped his hand indignantly away.

"Whaddaya mean, comin' off all high 'n mighty?" Raphael asked. "'Don't do that again?' Ya were getting' pulverized when we got here. If we hadn't at least distracted that thing long enough for ya to get yourself back together, ya woulda-"

"Raphael, that woman _died_ because of unsuspected intervention." Raphael's mouth snapped shut at Ichigo's blunt accusation. It looked as though saying the words hurt him just as much as it hurt Raphael to hear them. "I called in to Soul Society to have them put something that's best described as a spiritual barricade around this perimeter, meaning that any people who get too close will receive a strong subliminal suggestion that they stay away from the area. By consciously looking for me, you weakened the barricade. That woman would have either made a detour or, at the very least, the _Menos_ would have been too focused on me to allow for someone else to get caught in the crossfire."

Ichigo took a deep breath after his tirade. He knew that Raphael had the best intentions in mind, but he couldn't help it. He had seen enough death, even before becoming a shinigami. It tore Ichigo up on the inside to perform a soul burial on someone who was simply an innocent bystander in one of his own battles. He knew that it sounded as though he were trying to shift some of the blame off to someone else, and was about to apologize for it when Raphael spoke.

"Y'know," the turtle said lowly, putting his sai back in his belt, "… I think I kinda knew that." Looking up at Ichigo, he shuddered as he clarified, "Not about the barricade or nuthin'. But… the _Menos_ was tryin' to get me 'n Leo. If it hadn't aimed at us, it wouldn't have… yeah. I knew that."

"Raphael, I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured after a while. "I… I didn't mean…." Feeling terrible now, he offered, "It's not the first… the first casualty, you know. Countless people have died because of Hollows and _Menos_, and more will die in the future." His words didn't seem to do anything but make Raphael paler and paler. The turtle didn't strike him as one who would pale in the face of death.

As though confirming Ichigo's suspicions, Leonardo said, "Hey, Raph… you okay? You… you don't look so well, bro." Raphael turned away then, seeming shaky on his feet. As the other turtle tried to talk to him, Ichigo remembered that Raphael had staved off sickness earlier today. Perhaps the stress of everything that's happened was too much for him?

And then another thought struck him. It hadn't escaped Ichigo's notice that Raphael's _rietsu_ seemed to spike at odd times during the course of the battle. Its untamed ferocity struck a familiar chord with the substitute shinigami, and the more he dwelled on it, the more he knew that meeting the ninja turtle and his sensei earlier hadn't simply been a matter of chance.

"Leo, yes?" The turtle in blue looked at Ichigo at the mention of his name. "You're Raphael's brother, and one of Splinter's students, right?" When Leonardo nodded, Ichigo stated, "You'll have to help me with your brother. He might be falling ill, and for right now, I think the best place for him will be the place where my family and I are staying."

"Uh, are you sure about that?" Leonardo asked, propping the already-wavering Raphael up. "I mean, your family… I don't really know how you guys met up with Raph and Sensei, but-"

"It's all right," Ichigo affirmed. "Trust me."

Ichigo said nothing else. After looking at his intense eyes for a moment, Leonardo nodded. "Right. Just show me where to go." He began to follow after Ichigo, but stopped suddenly. "Wait… where's Kon?"

"In my pocket." When Leonardo looked at him oddly, Ichigo almost smirked. "You _don't_ really know much about us, huh? I'll explain along the way. Have you ever heard of modified souls?" He began explaining as he led Leonardo back towards the motel.

Even as he nonchalantly discussed Kon's origin, Ichigo knew that he was going to have to place a call to Kisuke Urahara.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you better, Raphael-san?"

Raphael looked up at Yuzu, who was smiling down at him brightly. "I coulda sworn we been through this once today," he mentioned, trying to sit up on the sofa. "I'm good, kid. Just needed to lie down a little."

"Don't stand!" Yuzu said urgently, placing her small hands on his shoulders and trying to keep him down. "Ichi-nii said that you need to lie down. He told Karin and me to make sure you don't try to walk."

"Yes," Karin added, stepping in behind her sister. "And unlike Yuzu, I'm willing to kick you in the knees to make sure you stay down." Judging by her tomboy attitude, Raphael didn't doubt her.

"I appreciate it, in a weird kinda way" he remarked, gently pulling Yuzu's hands away. "But honestly, there ain't no point in me countin' the cracks in the ceiling while Master Splinter and my bro are back home. Ichigo hasn't come outta his room since he told 'em to go, and I'm startin' to get just a little bit-"

"Antsy, are you?" Raphael turned to see Kon, once again in his stuffed lion's body, emerge from Ichigo's room. "Ah, and here's the fearless warrior, showing concern for his own well-being. How ignoble, if I might say so-"

"Nobody's _askin'_ for your two cents, twerp," Raphael barked out, startling Kon into grabbing hold of Yuzu's leg. Raphael reached down and wrenched the plush toy off of the girl, holding him at eye level. "_Confused_, is what I was gonna say. I'm feelin' fine, and there ain't no way that ya could easily convince the likes 'a Leo and Sensei to just leave me behind with a bunch 'a strangers. Somethin's up, and somebody best be spillin', or else some cotton's gonna end up litterin' the floor _real_ soon."

"Raphael." Raphael looked up to see Ichigo emerging from his room. He didn't like the fact that the boy was looking down towards Raphael's feet rather than straight in his eye. "As much as he probably deserves it, put Kon down. I just got off the phone with someone, and I think we need to talk." Ichigo then looked down at his two sisters. "Why don't you go take Kon and get some food at the deli across the street?"

Neither of the girls moved for a moment. When Yuzu finally reached out to take Kon away from Raphael and hold him, Karin put her hands on her hips. "Ichi-nii," Karin started, "is this another you're-too-young-to-know-about-the-end-of-the-world kind of thing? Because Yuzu and I are almost _twelve_-"

"Karin, please," Ichigo said quietly, looking up at her. Karin held his gaze steadily before rolling her eyes and heading towards the chair on which her and Yuzu's coats were draped. Handing Yuzu her jacket, she offered Ichigo a sullen stare.

Before leaving out the door, Yuzu murmured, "Don't push yourself, Raphael-san."

Raphael stared at Ichigo, who was leaning against the doorframe and gently tossing his cell phone in the air. Though Ichigo's gaze appeared vacant, Raphael knew that he was thinking of something important. The last time he talked on his cell phone, Ichigo went off to fight a _Menos_ _Grande_, a Hollow or evil spirit that was far more powerful than the ones he routinely encountered. In the simplest Western terms, Raphael likened the comparison of a Hollow and a _Menos_ to that of a demon versus the Devil.

"Talk to me, kid," he finally told Ichigo. "I got the distinct impression that that phone of yours is set aside for your death god contacts. So if you've been talkin' to somebody from the other side and ya wanted to get me alone for some reason, ya gotta tell me why. Is this Soul Society of yours pissed off because 'a the girl that died? Do they wanna punish me? Cuz trust me, I can take it."

"Half of the captains in Soul Society could probably care less about a single casualty during a battle with a _Menos_ in New York City," Ichigo answered, still not looking at Raphael. "They'd consider the single death a victory, most likely. It's even possible that passing through the spiritual barricade means that she had some minor spirit power, and she might end up becoming a shinigami. I don't know if anything in this world is planned, Raphael. I only know what I've been told. And it doesn't seem like I ever get any good news."

He sighed deeply, stepping into the common room and sitting down in a chair across from Raphael. After a long period of silence, Raphael again stated, "Talk to me, kid. Can't do nuthin' if I don't know nuthin'."

It took a moment for Raphael to realize that Ichigo was having trouble translating what he wanted to tell him. It probably made perfect sense to him in Japanese, but the language barrier made things a little difficult.

"I was talking to my friend Renji," Ichigo finally said. "He's a shinigami who… well, he's my friend. I guess that explanation will have to do for now. But when he's not in Soul Society, he tends to stay in the shop of Ura-… Kisuke Urahara. When you showed up with your brother to help fight the _Menos_, I noticed that your _rietsu_—your spirit power—was spiking at strange intervals, and your spirit sense seemed to keep… changing. I wasn't sure what that meant, but then I remembered that your sensei said he knew Urahara in the past. And like I said, Urahara is one of the most distrustful people I know. 'Coincidence' doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary, except as a joke."

After a moment of silence, Raphael asked, "So ya think this Urahara guy _meant_ for us to bump into each other? That I got somethin' to do with why you're in New York? Then why'd ya send Splinter 'n Leo off? If this has got somethin' to do with us, then we _all_ should-"

"It doesn't," Ichigo broke in. "Not with Leo. Not with your other brothers or your sensei. This is about _you,_ Raphael." The turtle looked at him confusedly, forcing Ichigo to explain, "Leo's _rietsu _was relatively high, about the same as Splinter's. Yours, however… the way it peaked and dipped… it was too familiar to be a coincidental meeting."

"…whaddaya mean, 'familiar'?" Raphael asked.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo finally told him, "Too much like mine."

Raphael considered this for a moment, though he wasn't wholly sure exactly what he was considering. "So… you 'n me, we got the same kinda spirit sense… or spirit power, if there's a difference. So, what does that mean? Do I got some shinigami blood in me? I don't think normal, unmutated turtles would make very good death gods, so I don't see how that can happen."

"Being a shinigami isn't something that you inherit," Ichigo informed him. "You die, your soul gets sent to Soul Society. If your soul has a great deal of spirit power, you have a chance at going to an academy to learn the ways of the shinigami. Then you… climb the ranks, I suppose is what best explains it. Since I'm still alive, I can't be a full-fledged shinigami. But my spirit power is enough to make me a powerful ally _and_ a powerful threat to the ways of Soul Society. And if they discover another being with my kind of abilities…."

"They might just choose to look at me as a threat," Raphael finished for him. When Ichigo nodded, Raphael looked down. "Great. And Kon was just sayin' that these Soul Society guys don't go easy on their threats."

"It's worse than that," Ichigo said lowly, as though he were saying something confidential. "I'm a human with a high spirit sense. Unusual, but it's happened before. A turtle? With abilities similar to mine? Moreover… _four _of them? There's one captain in Soul Society who's known for his… I don't know the word for it… his _wrong_ experiments."

"Unethical?" Raphael offered.

Seeming to consider the word, Ichigo nodded once again. "Yes. Highly unethical. Torture, dissection… what makes it worse is that he works mostly on souls, not on bodies. If he finds out about you and Soul Society gives him leave to stick you under a microscope-"

"Wouldn't be the first time we get a mad scientist on our tails," Raphael remarked. "And it definitely wouldn't be the first time I face one down on my own. Question is, why keep the others out of this?"

It was Ichigo's turn to appear confused. "Would you want your family in the line of danger? If Soul Society is only aware of one or, at most, two of you, it would be a lot easier to hide you away or convince them that this was a one-time glitch that doesn't occur often. But the more of you there are, the more Soul Society will want to know, which means the greater the chance that you'll be sent with Kurotsuchi-taichou."

"With who?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Ichigo explained. "The captain I told you about. My friend faced him down once, and almost didn't survive. But then, that could be said about fights against most of the captains. That only proves how serious this is, Raphael."

"Okay, okay," Raphael growled, standing up and wrapping his hands around the handles of his sai. "I get the point. Ya don't want me to fight head-on, kid, but there ain't really a way to hide from guys who can keep track 'a souls, is there? Unless ya got some kinda spiritual invisibility cloak, I should at least be able to defend myself if these jerks prove hostile."

"Funny you should mention that," Ichigo said, a ghost of a smile on his face. "As it turns out, the reason I spoke to Renji was because Urahara wasn't in the shop. Last anyone saw of him, he was carrying a big bag and said something about going off to a big city to see the sights. Originally, Renji thought he just meant he was going to downtown Tokyo, but given the fact that he might have set me up, I wouldn't put it past him to know when he's needed."

"Sounds like a prince," Raphael murmured, crossing his arms over his chest. "A precog with a sick sense 'a humor, knowin' more than he'll let on. Yeah, I ain't gonna like this guy, am I?"

"I don't know if anyone does," Ichigo replied, rising as well. "But very few people can speak against his usefulness. Raphael, please. Stay here until Urahara contacts me. I've already told Splinter to let your brothers know that you all might have to stay down for a while, and that they shouldn't expect to see you for a few days."

"You ain't got that right," Raphael told him angrily. "I got a little banged up dealin' with a demon, that's all. I was tryin' to help. These Soul Society losers don't wanna gimme a fair trial, then too bad for 'em. They wanna mess with me, they're welcome to it. They touch my family, though-"

"If they touch your family, there's nothing you can do about it," Ichigo said exasperatedly. "Shinigami aren't just spiritual beings that slash at things with normal swords. Each of our weapons has a unique power that, for someone whose sight is limited to the physical world, can mean a very painful death. And death is only the beginning. Once your soul is free from your body, you are technically the property of Soul Society."

"I ain't _nobody's_ property!" Raphael growled.

"Believe what you like-" Ichigo started, his voice rising as he approached Raphael.

"I _do_," Raphael snapped, putting a hand on Ichigo's chest and shoving him away.

"I don't see any reason for you to get so _heated_," Ichigo responded, angrily approaching the turtle again.

"You're makin' it seem like I can't handle myself," Raphael argued. "Like some Japanese brat has got more soul power than I do, or whatever."

"Maybe that's because I _do_," Ichigo stated bluntly, getting in Raphael's face.

"If ya had so much soul power," Raphael snarled, "ya woulda noticed when another soul entered the room, wouldn't ya?"

Ichigo blinked down at the turtle, uncomprehending for a moment. Though he did have a large amount of spirit power, it was—like Raphael's—unfocused. He couldn't sense someone's _rietsu_ unless it was extremely powerful or he was actively searching for it. Now, sorting through his internal stimuli, Ichigo preferred to search for the presence of another rather than turn around and look at the door. Raphael seemed like the sort who would be more than willing to get someone to turn so he could get an easy hit. Unfortunately, Raphael wasn't bluffing. With a defeated sigh, Ichigo asked, "How long have you been standing there, Urahara?"

Seeing Ichigo's shoulders sag, Raphael looked behind him. _So, this is Urahara. Not exactly what I pictured._ The man at the doorway had shaggy blond hair that probably covered his eyes, if his green-and-white striped hat didn't already do so. He leaned against the open door to the suite, which he managed to open absolutely silently. The only reason Raphael had even noticed him was because the hand that wasn't holding a large gray sack over his shoulder was busy waving a white fan in front of his face, despite the winter weather.

"Oh, long enough, Kurosaki-san," Urahara answered. Raphael immediately knew why Ichigo didn't seem to wholly trust him. His voice seemed to have a sickeningly sweet, sing-song quality to it. There was also something else that seemed vaguely odd about it. "Long enough, that is, to see the rather spirited discourse between yourself and your new friend. Please do introduce us, Kurosaki-san. You wouldn't want to be accused of having ill manners."

As Ichigo moodily made the introductions, Raphael realized what else it was about Urahara that seemed odd. As good as Ichigo's English was, he still had a fairly thick accent and also appeared to pause at odd times in the conversation, as though struggling with the appropriate translation. Urahara, however… didn't. In fact, Raphael couldn't even tell if this man was Japanese. His English was flawless, and it didn't appear as though he had any sort of accent whatsoever. _Like he's a chameleon_, Raphael realized. _Like he can be anyone from anywhere, whenever he wants._

"Ah, so luck made it so that the two of you _did_ meet," Urahara said with a smile. "How very fortuitous. I had assumed that you would meet all four of the turtles at the same time, and wouldn't know that there was anything special about our dear Raphael until I pointed it out to you. No offense, Kurosaki-san, but you _are_ a trifle dense."

A look at Ichigo's face proved to Raphael that the boy shared the same thoughts about Urahara's vocabulary. Still, he seemed beyond the point of being surprised by anything Urahara could say or do. "So you know there are four of them," Ichigo said. "Then you know who their sensei is, I guess."

"That piece of knowledge actually came as a surprise," Urahara professed, setting his sack down and stepping into the suite, closing the door behind him. "One of my under-the-radar contacts pointed me in the direction of these four turtles, concerned that they may be _kappa_. Nice fellow, but not exactly familiar with the way the world truly works. At any rate, I was at first skeptical, until I picked up on some odd spiritual readings coming from the same place as these alleged _kappa_. Though there were five strong readings, my contact only sighted four such creatures. One of the readings was incredibly high and showed signs of marked fluctuation in much the same way as yours does, Kurosaki-san. I assumed that this _rietsu_ must belong to the fifth "_kappa_" that my friend had missed. I sent Yoruichi here to check on the state of things just before recommending your little trip. She told me that the erratic _rietsu_ actually came from a creature named Raphael, and that the fifth being was a giant rat. Overhearing a conversation of his, she managed to pick up the name Hamato Yoshi. It wasn't until I watched the esteemed Splinter-san leave here with the other turtle that I realized who it was. Quite coincidental, I assure you." The small smile that tugged on his lips implied that, as Ichigo mentioned earlier, "coincidence" has a strange meaning in this man's vocabulary.

"Whoa, hold up," Raphael said. "Sightings? And this Yoru-somethin' chick… was spyin' on us? Impossible! My bro's got a state-'a-the-art security system set up in our lair. Ain't no way she coulda overheard one 'a Splinter's conversations unless one 'a us _wanted_ her to overhear."

"What makes you think that isn't the case?" Urahara asked, hiding the lower half of his face with his fluttering fan. His innocent voice and the stupidly effeminate gesture grated Raphael even worse than losing a sparring match with Michelangelo. "I trust that Splinter-san would perceive no threat from the ravishing Yoruichi, should he sense her presence about. Indeed, he might have even purposely dropped clues about his past, enabling Yoruichi and I to know his identity."

Raphael wanted to say that no, he was wrong. If Splinter sensed an intruder nearby, he would have said something. And either way, wouldn't Donatello's security system pick up signs of a disturbance? Unless Yoruichi was tiny for a human, there was no way….

And then he remembered. A cat. Splinter mentioned that Urahara had a cat named Yoruichi. Maybe Donnie's surveillance equipment didn't perceive cats to be a threat, and so she had slipped by unnoticed. Still, how did Urahara know what she saw?

"Look, if you actually emerged from your shop, one can assume that you recognize the danger in this situation," Ichigo broke in. "We can question all of this later. Right now, Urahara, you have to let me know: does Soul Society know about Raphael and his brothers? There was an incident with a _Menos_ earlier today, and-"

"Stop acting as though I don't know the basic details," Urahara interrupted, grinning as he waved his fan towards Ichigo as though to silence him. "Yes, I'm aware of the _Menos_ incident. Quite disturbing that a woman had to die in the process. From what I can gather, Soul Society is none too happy about a casualty; though they're relieved it didn't go as badly as it could have. Had school still been in session-… well, no sense dwelling on that, is there?"

Lowering the fan, Urahara appeared to look down. "However, they will be investigating the failure of the spiritual barricade and will eventually unearth the presence of our two unique friends. I sent Yoruichi back down to the lair—as you seem to call it—and she will be informing Splinter-san and his students of everything we know. I've come here in the hopes that you had kept Raphael with you. If Captain Kurotsuchi gets wind of this—or _any_ of the captains, as a matter of fact—then I'm afraid Raphael's current liquid _rietsu_ will need to solidify a great deal. Of course, as Kurosaki-san can vouch for, I can certainly help with your training, and you will be able to hold your own in a discourse against-"

"Can it, blondie."

Urahara looked up, his eyes barely visible beneath his mane of hair as Raphael shut him up. "'Discourse?'" Raphael continued. "What, are ya kiddin' me? From what I've been hearin', these guys ain't gonna wanna have no discourse with me. If this crazy scientist captain 'a yours gets his way, I gotta be able to fight."

"Well, of course," Urahara replied. "By strengthening your _rietsu, _you will certainly gain more solidity within the spiritual confines of Soul Society, and so be better able to defend yourself."

"Ya just told me that somebody's gonna want to put me on a slab and cut me open, possibly killin' me just to get to my soul," Raphael responded, looking to Ichigo now. "Defense ain't exactly what I got in mind."

"Storming Soul Society is a bad idea," Ichigo told him. "I should know. I did it once. And I went with friends who all had incredibly high spirit power and had abilities that you'd probably consider magic." Turning to Urahara, he continued, "I still say we should keep them hidden away for as long as possible, and see if Kuchiki-taichou or Toushiro can't speak on our behalf."

"Before being your allies," Urahara said, "they are captains of Soul Society. If they are given orders to apprehend the turtles, they will-"

"Ain't anybody listenin"? Raphael barked out. "If somebody's after me 'n my family, talkin' ain't gonna solve anything. I'm not gonna sit here 'n twiddle my thumbs with you guys while my family's on their own."

As Raphael pushed past Ichigo and headed towards the door, Urahara stepped in his way. "They are in extremely capable hands, I assure you. Right now, due to the chaotic readings of your _rietsu_, we must focus on-"

"I ain't got _time_ for this!" Raphael growled out. His arm snaked out, meaning to push Urahara back. He expected the man to grab his wrist or to be built like a truck. After all, Urahara gave off the impression of being much more than meets the eye. This left Raphael vaguely surprised when Urahara cried out and fell backwards, onto his sack. Not taking the time to wonder over the man's lack of strength, Raphael crashed through the door and sped out.

"Raphael!" Ichigo called, meaning to give chase.

"Let him go," Urahara told him. Ichigo seemed reluctant to oblige, but he also knew that Raphael probably wouldn't have been able to pass Urahara unless he wanted him to. Urahara held out a hand, and Ichigo took it and helped his friend to his feet. Brushing himself off, Urahara looked out the door, sensing Raphael's _rietsu_ get further and further away.

"We will be seeing much of our friend in the coming days," Urahara stated solemnly.


	5. Chapter 5

_Longest stretch 'a sidewalk I've seen without a sewer._

Raphael sprinted across the rooftops, stopping every so often to look down at the streets below. He had been running for about five minutes, and there didn't appear to be a manhole in sight. He thought it strange until he realized something that Ichigo told him earlier. Urahara had recommended the motel to him. If he knew as much about the turtles as he let on, then it was a cinch that the enigmatic man would make sure that Ichigo was staying somewhere that would make it very difficult for Raphael to escape.

_He's probably trailin' me_, Raphael realized as he looked behind him. _Maybe that cat 'a his is on my tail. But if he was aimin' on holdin' me back, why didn't he stop me back in the suite? Guy like him can't _really_ be that much of a weakling, can he?_

He stopped again, looking down and hoping to spot a familiar metal cover that would signal that he could get underground soon. Heck, shouldn't there be a subway tunnel around here somewhere? The "M" train stopped somewhere on Metropolitan Avenue, so why couldn't he find-

Raphael shivered. It was starting to get cold, a sign of the blizzard that was headed their way for the weekend. That was all he needed, to be covered shell-deep in snow while he's trying to defend himself against a bunch of domineering old men who make up this Soul Society clan.

Raphael stopped looking down, suddenly aware of someone else's presence behind him. It wasn't like the way his ninja training helped him to pick up the sound of a person's breathing or to feel someone's eyes on the back of his head. This was something altogether different… and he had felt it recently.

"Your spirit power is rising," said an unfamiliar voice behind him. "I wonder if that means you can see me now." Turning around, Raphael was disappointed to discover that he couldn't. He looked towards where the dispassionate voice came from, though, hoping that he was at least accurate enough to bluff. His hopes fell away when the unseen individual said, "It doesn't seem that way. Strange, then, that you can hear me. Or _can_ you?"

"I can hear ya all right, punk," Raphael growled, going for his sai to be on the safe side. This person's English was every bit as perfect as Urahara's, despite having the same sort of presence as Ichigo. A death god? It makes sense that they excel in all the languages of the world. How does that account for the strange shopkeeper, though? "You been followin' me this whole time?"

"Yes," the person said simply. "I've been instructed to take you back to Soul Society, along with the other creature that interfered with the _Menos_ slaying earlier today. If you can take me to him, this will be much easier."

"I ain't never been one for easy," Raphael growled.

The person said nothing for a moment before coolly stating, "Then I will take you back alone, and my lieutenant will carry on with her search and bring him in. If you prefer having your home infiltrated, that's perfectly all right with me."

"Lieutenant, huh?" Raphael asked. "That makes you one 'a them captains that Ichigo and Urahara were talkin' about?"

"Urahara?" The invisible captain sounded shocked. "What does Urahara have to do with all of this?"

"Don't know," Raphael professed, taking a defensive stance against the outline that was slowly beginning to solidify in front of him. Hopefully, if this death god still believed Raphael to be blind to his whereabouts, this fight can be a whole lot easier than either of them had anticipated. "Don't care, really."

As the other person remained silent, Raphael focused more on the shadowy edges that were beginning to take shape. He tried to get himself in the same mindset he was in for the minute or so that he had been able to see that woman's ghost and the giant _Menos_ earlier. Thankfully, whatever he was doing, he was doing it correctly. He managed to make out some sort of black-and-white robes, with another color somewhere in the mix.

At first he thought that the image wasn't fully formed. He was taken aback, then, when a mass of wild silver hair took shape only a few feet off the ground. When the person's downcast green-blue eyes came into view, Raphael forgot about playing blind. "What the-? You're just a kid!"

The stern-faced boy glared up at Raphael, both surprised and annoyed. He seemed as though he were about to make an angry retort, but thought better of it. "I am Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya of the Tenth Squad. In the name of fairness, I should warn you not to judge me based on my appearance. I will have Soul Society open a portal, and you will follow me without resistance to the other side. Are we in agreement?"

Despite Hitsugaya's "warning," Raphael couldn't help but scoff, "Right. Should I hold your hand while we cross dimensions or somethin', shorty? Gimme a break."

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched. "Fine," he said as he reached for a sword sheathed at his back. "If that's what you want, then I'll oblige you." Drawing his weapon, he seemed to speak more to it than to the turtle when he quietly uttered, "Sit upon the frosted heavens, Hyourinmayu."

"Great," Raphael muttered, preparing himself for whatever may happen next. "A kid who talks to his swords. Your mom shoulda taken the toy away and forced ya to go out 'n make some friends or somethin'."

He shivered again. There wasn't supposed to be this much of a temperature drop for another two days. He hoped the blizzard didn't start early; fighting a death god—even a kiddy one—was bound to be difficult if he was distracted by snow flurries. Raphael figured out that his "spirit sense" only worked when he was completely aware of it and allowed himself to focus on it, and so-

Raphael cried out in surprise. A harsh gust of freezing wind almost pushed him back over the edge of the roof. He shielded his eyes to prevent them from tearing up, then looked back at the miniature death god. _Crud… this kid's _makin'_ the crazy weather! _

Hitsugaya stood with his sword raised above his head, point raised towards the darkened sky. The wind was emanating from his weapon, swirling around his small body. Even though his kimono billowed out around him, his aquamarine eyes were emotionless as he stared at Raphael.

"Captain Kurotsuchi has determined that you're reptilian," Hitsugaya informed him. "As such, you must be cold-blooded. That's why I was sent here to bring you back. If you choose to fight rather than return willingly, I can render you defenseless with my soul slayer without harming you." He closed his eyes and looked down, almost as though he were pained. "Captain Kurotsuchi does not want you harmed."

"How's he feel about _you_ gettin' hurt?" Raphael asked, trying to ignore the fact that Hitsugaya's outline was beginning to fade. "Cold or not, I ain't gonna let a little sub-zero temperature turn me into a pup, ya got that?"

"Your spirit power is already diminishing," Hitsugaya confirmed. "Soon, you won't even be able to see me until we return to Soul Society. Trust me, it will be much easier if you simply drop your defenses now."

Irritated by the fact that this little brat could weaken him just by taking out a sword and standing still, Raphael snarled, "The only thing droppin' is gonna be _you_." He raced towards Hitsugaya, slashing with his sai. It only caused him to stumble when Hitsugaya suddenly disappeared. _What the-… no, he couldn't have gone invisible again. I went right through him._

"I admire your speed," Hitsugaya confessed from behind him. Raphael whirled around, surprised to see the death god standing by casually. "Unfortunately, you seem to be unaware of the shinigami technique known as the flash step. So long as you maintain a physical body and I'm a spiritual being, your speed won't be enough to defeat me."

"Thanks for the lecture," Raphael remarked sarcastically, still going for him. "Now how about I show ya what this physical body of mine can do?" He once again swiped his weapon at the boy and, though he could have easily sidestepped it, Hitsugaya chose to parry. It was just as well, since the turtle was finding it more and more difficult to see the death god clearly.

"A worthy adversary for the average human," Hitsugaya stated as he effortlessly defended himself from Raphael's attacks. Both his face and voice were void of any signs of struggle, only causing Raphael to lose his temper even more. "Unfortunately, all you're doing is tiring yourself out and making it easier for your spirit power to slip away. Though you're probably keeping yourself warm, I'll soon disappear from sight and will be able to retaliate as I wish. Wouldn't it be simpler to just follow after me as a guest of the Thirteen Squads?"

"Guest?" Raphael muttered, even more annoyed by the fact that Hitsugaya was correct in every regard. "Puh. Yeah right. According to Ichigo, Urahara, and even Kon, goin' to Soul Society's like me stickin' my head in a lion's mouth. I heard about that whackjob captain ya got that's gonna want to cut me to pieces in the name 'a science. Sorry, it might just be a 'physical body,' but I've grown to like it."

"Captain Kurotsuchi's methods are unorthodox, yes," Hitsugaya admitted, fading more and more from Raphael's sight. "But he is only one captain among the Thirteen Squads and has no more clout than I do. We mean only to discuss what took place today and see if we can't…."

His voice had begun to fade away early on in his spiel, and Raphael was unnerved when, not only did the kid disappear from view despite still parrying his sai, but his voice died away entirely. _Crap! _When the next swing of his weapon hit nothing but empty air, Raphael tried not to panic. _Crap_, he once again screamed in his head, aware of the fact that it was so cold he lost feeling in his hands.

He took a defensive stance again, trying his best to concentrate. He could still feel the boy's presence, but with the wind blowing in every direction, it was impossible to pinpoint where he was. He thought back to how smoothly the runt had managed to keep him at bay with his sword, and his anger rose up like bile in the back of his throat. Overcome with the sudden desire to see _some_ sort of emotion on this proud death god's childish face, Raphael thought, _I'll kill 'im. The minute I can figure out where these winds are comin' from and he makes some kinda move, I'm gonna be on him like-_

He didn't have the chance to finish his simile. Something so cold that it was painful had enveloped his legs, and he looked down to see that his lower limbs were now encased in ice. With another series of growls, he stabbed at the ice with his sai, fervently trying to chip himself out before Hitsugaya decided to come at him with a serious attack. Kid or not, anyone who was captain of a squad of death gods _had_ to be capable of more than just shooting ice beams.

Raphael managed to jostle one leg free and looked up just in time to see another shard of ice heads towards him. Snarling, he swiped at it with his sai. Though it didn't break completely apart, it didn't cause the damage it could have. He hated to admit it, but the contact with his frozen hands hurt immensely, and he wasn't sure that he'd be able to stand once he wrenched his other leg free. Regardless, he continued defending himself from other bolts of ice, shaking his trapped leg in the hopes of loosening his bond. Then something bad happened.

Just as he managed to get himself completely free, he realized that both of his feet were too numb to stand on. At the same time, another blast of frost came at him, and he was too distracted to shield himself. It hit him in the chest, sending him reeling backwards. If the cold wasn't enough to put Raphael out, then hitting his head on the roof's ledge certainly did the trick.

All puns aside, Raphael was out cold.

Hitsugaya looked down at the fallen turtle, making sure that he wasn't simply playing dead. Judging by the way the creature's chest rose and fell and the way his grasp upon his weapons became limp, Hitsugaya was able to ascertain that their quick battle was over. He looked at Raphael solemnly as he sheathed his sword, sending his soul slayer back to sleep. The world around him warmed considerably. Hitsugaya hated it.

Hearing the fluttering of soft wings by his ear, Hitsugaya cocked his head and saw one of the hell butterflies that served as messengers among the shinigami. "Tell them to open a portal," he told it quietly. "And see if you can find Matsumoto." The butterfly flitted away, taking his message with it.

Alone again, Hitsugaya walked towards Raphael and crouched besides him. He was certainly an odd creature, seeming to be a combination of the best features of both humans and turtles. Hitsugaya had certainly not expected to be attacked with such speed and strength, nor had he even thought this creature possessed the amount of intelligence it seemed to have. It was little wonder that Captain Kurotsuchi would want to examine it and its brethren.

But why was Urahara involved? Surely the man was aware of how many individuals Kurotsuchi has apprehended in the name of experimentation, so why should he try to interfere with this one? Is it because of his strange spirit power? The way it fluctuates, similar to that of Ichigo Kurosaki's? Or was it… something else?

"Captain!"

Hitsugaya looked up at the urgent voice. Jumping from the rooftop across from his was his blonde, blue-eyed lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. He was both surprised and relieved to see that she had the sword-wielding turtle trailing after her. Judging by the amount of stable spirit power coming off of him, it was clear that this one had no trouble seeing either of the shinigami.

He stood and walked towards them. The other turtle saw his companion and tried to push past, but Hitsugaya stopped him. "There is no need for worry. He's just cold and tired. We can offer plenty of warmth in Soul Society."

"His name is Leonardo," Matsumoto brought up cheerily. Apparently, her encounter with this turtle was more much pleasant than her captain's had been with the other one. "And his brother is called Raphael. He's much more reasonable than the others had feared." Offering a sideways glance to the comatose turtle, she mentioned, "I assume the same can't be said for yours?"

"Raphael's far from reasonable," Leonardo agreed, looking at Raphael worriedly. "But… did he attack you? From what your lieutenant's told me, Captain Hitsugaya, there shouldn't have been enough cause to warrant knocking him out."

Hitsugaya was quiet before turning his back on Raphael, looking at Leonardo intently. "When you last saw him, who was with him? Simply Kurosaki, or was there another?"

Leonardo, who had been uneasy about following after Matsumoto despite her friendliness, thought back to what Ichigo had told him and Splinter when requesting that they leave Raphael with him. Ichigo claimed that Soul Society may want them for interrogation—perhaps more—and it'd be best that they stay hidden until they received word that it was all right to emerge. If they were cornered, then the only way to deal with any death god captains was with honesty. They weren't bad, Ichigo explained, but their logic was a little different from ours.

He didn't want to risk getting Ichigo's family in trouble, but looking down at Hitsugaya's stern eyes made it difficult to lie. "Ichigo had his two younger sisters with him," Leonardo finally answered. "Is that bad?"

"Karin and Yuzu?" Hitsugaya asked, surprised. "I see…. What about a man?

Leonardo thought about it for a moment, then brought up with even more reluctance, "There was a… a modified soul with them. They called him Kon, and he apparently lives in the body of this little stuffed animal."

"Ugh," Matsumoto commented. "That little pervert! How can Ichigo leave his precious girls with that annoying skirt-chaser?" Upon seeing Hitsugaya's thoughtful expression, Matsumoto grew serious once again. "Is something wrong, captain?"

Hitsugaya was quiet for a moment before confiding, "Somehow, Urahara is involved in all of this."

"Urahara?" Matsumoto asked.

Having heard the name mentioned, Leonardo asked, "Who's this Urahara? Is this bad?"

"Urahara's presence is seldom 'bad,'" Hitsugaya responded. "Rather, it tends to… complicate things. If Kurosaki mentioned something to you about his involvement, Leonardo, then perhaps you'd be willing to elaborate. You _do_ seem to be much more rational than your brother."

Leonardo wasn't sure what to say. Matsumoto seemed nice enough, and Hitsugaya certainly seemed to exude an aura of honor. Still, his brother was lying unconscious on the ground thanks to him, and Ichigo only managed to state that some shinigami were his friends; he didn't state which ones. "I… I'm afraid I don't really know," Leonardo finally said. "Ichigo never spoke of Urahara to me. All I know about him, I learned from my sensei and someone I met tonight named-"

"Yoruichi!" Matsumoto suddenly cried.

Hitsugaya whirled around. Yoruichi had appeared by Raphael while his back was turned and now had the turtle hoisted on her shoulders. Wherever she was, Urahara couldn't be too far behind, either in body or spirit. "Put him down," Hitsugaya told her, placing a hand on his sword. "I have orders to-"

"I know what your orders are," Yoruichi told him with a smirk. "And while I try not to interfere in your business whenever possible, I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment. Kurotsuchi can't have this boy." Looking at Leonardo now, she mentioned, "I would tell you to run, but you can't outrun them. _I_ can." With that, she disappeared completely, her mastery of the flash step making it seem as though she had vanished into thin air.

Leonardo gaped after her, not knowing what to do. Before he could come to a decision, however, a white light shone behind him. It was the portal that Matsumoto had told him would take him to Soul Society. Yoruichi was right. He couldn't run. Whatever was going to happen to him, he could only hope that the other shinigami would treat him as well as Matsumoto and Hitsugaya had, and this would all blow over before something happened to Raphael.

He looked down to see that Hitsugaya was looking up at him expectantly. "I won't run," Leonardo affirmed. "I could hardly keep up with Matsumoto on the way here, and she wasn't even trying. It'd be a wasted effort."

Hitsugaya continued to look up at the turtle that was scarcely taller than him. He knew that his expression was unreadable, but he couldn't care less about that right now. If Urahara was involved and could get Yoruichi to act with such conviction, then there was much more to this situation than meets the eye. And if that were the case, and this concerned other beings with the same sort of spiritual power as the Kurosaki family, then Hitsugaya would have to choose a side and hope it was the right one.

"Matsumoto," he finally said. His lieutenant looked at him anxiously, aware that something important was under way. After a brief pause in which he continued to gaze at the turtle known as Leonardo, he stated, "We were unable to apprehend either of our targets due to the unexpected interference of Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara. Is that clear?"

Matsumoto didn't even need to question her captain's reasoning. "Yes, captain."

To Leonardo, Hitsugaya said, "Go find your brother or Kurosaki. Find out all you can about this situation. The next time you encounter me or one of the other shinigami, you may not be granted this sort of clemency." With that, he turned and disappeared through the portal. Matsumoto waved cheerily at Leonardo before following after him.

Not knowing what else to do, Leonardo bowed deeply before running off towards the motel in which Ichigo and his family were staying.


	6. Chapter 6

When Raphael opened his eyes, he was staring up at a dark ceiling.

If not for the dank smell and the dull pain at the back of his skull, he would have doubted that he regained consciousness at all. He forced himself to sit up and tried to get his eyes to adjust. "Don't force yourself," an unfamiliar voice told him. "Just let your body get used to your surroundings."

Raphael scrambled to his feet even as he realized that he was a lot more sore than he had thought. As he slowly got adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a figure sitting a few feet away from where he had been recuperating. There were several things that looked like pillars casting an even inkier gloom around certain places, leading Raphael to believe that they were in a subway tunnel, probably long abandoned. Their locale could wait, though.

"Who're you?" Raphael demanded.

"A friend," came the reply.

"Right," Raphael scoffed. "And I'm the flippin' king 'a England."

"A blunt one," the voice said, somewhat amused. "Well, your Majesty, you're certainly entitled to your beliefs and opinions. However, you're in something of a dangerous situation. If someone claims to be your friend, it would be in your best interests to hear what they have to say before making judgments, no?"

Raphael considered the words carefully. From what he could make of the voice, he was dealing with a woman. He thought for a moment that this might be the cat companion of Urahara's, but the more his eyes adjusted, the more he saw that she definitely had a human appearance. Though he was still a little scattered from his fight with Hitsugaya, he remembered the shinigami say something about being accompanied by a female lieutenant. Since he lost consciousness during battle, it was safe to assume that he had been captured. "If you're part 'a that Soul Society cult, then ya can forget about us bein' friends, got that?"

The woman said nothing for a long time. At length, she rose to her feet, her silhouette proving that she was indeed a human female. "Maybe it'd comfort you to know that I'm something of an exile from Soul Society, then." She walked past Raphael, adding, "Me and Kisuke Urahara both."

Surprised, Raphael turned around, not wanting to lose her in the darkness. "Hey! Wait a sec!" Following her as he blindly navigated the unfamiliar terrain, Raphael called out, "Ya _know_ that insufferable nitwit?"

"I taught that insufferable nitwit most of what he knows," she replied wryly. "And in turn, he's taught me a couple of the tricks he keeps up his sleeve. But only a couple. Kisuke doesn't like it when other people know as much as he does. Makes him uncomfortable."

"Know what makes _me_ uncomfortable?" Raphael brought up, walking besides her now. He was able to tell that she was wearing an orange shirt or jacket and that her long hair was done up in a high ponytail. Though her hazel eyes seemed to shine a little in the gloom, he could distinguish little else about her features. "Somehow findin' myself in the middle 'a some big talk about souls and about monsters terrorizin' my city. That makes me just a little bit uncomfortable."

"Serves you right," she shot back without looking at him. "Ichigo could have destroyed that Hollow on his own; no one asked you to jump in and try to rescue his sisters. Don't take it the wrong way, but anything that doesn't look human shouldn't interfere in a battle with someone who's used to dispersing evil."

"Listen lady, I don't know where ya get off on-" Raphael stopped in mid-sentence, realizing something. "How ya know how I met Ichigo? Were ya there? Didja just happen to… no. No, Ichigo said that coincidence never figured into anything that involved Urahara. That was planned, wasn't it? That schemin', good-for-nothing bastard purposely put two little girls-"

"My, you're even more talkative than Ichigo." The woman stopped and turned to look at him. "While Urahara has staged some similar escapades, it never involved an actual threat. So you can rest assured that no little girls were endangered in the introduction of you and Ichigo. There are these marvelous inventions that I believe are known as cell phones, through which some people communicate. Ichigo and I did just that while you were resting. _That's_ how I came by my knowledge."

As Raphael wondered how much of what she said could be trusted, the woman reached out and a harsh, bright light suddenly pierced through the darkness. Raphael fought the urge to cry out as he shielded his eyes. It took him a few moments, but when he saw that there was no one besides him, he realized that she had opened a door and had stepped through it.

Blinking a few times from the brightness in the next room, Raphael walked in and kept both hands on his sai. He didn't know how useful they'd be, but if he could make out the form of the woman in the darkness and she proclaimed to be an "exile" from Soul Society, then she was clearly not a shinigami and he at least had a fighting chance. Especially if he could _see_ her.

He didn't walk too far into the room before he realized that there was something very, very peculiar about this. Though he had been willing to bet that he was being held in some sort of underground tunnel, he was now… outside. _This definitely ain't New York City anymore, Toto._

Rolling hills, lush trees, and a blue sky awaited him on the other side of that door. He could even feel a warm summer breeze, even though Christmas had just been the day before. Looking back, Raphael saw the door leading to what looked like a black rectangle behind him, seeming horribly out of place with no walls or anything marking this as a room.

But it _was_ a room. Even after his eyes adjusted, Raphael could tell that the light was a little too bright to be sunlight, the grass too green to be the walking grounds of animals, the breeze a bit too direct to be a product of nature. It was a simulation, and nothing more.

"Looks like naptime's over, eh?"

Raphael whirled around at the sound of the voice. Sitting atop one of the small hills was Ichigo. He was twirling something on his index finger as he looked at Raphael almost solemnly. When he saw he had Raphael's attention, Ichigo stopped twirling it and stood up. "I heard they sent Toushiro after you. All things considered, I guess you didn't come out too bad."

A dark-skinned woman with purple hair stepped up besides Ichigo, and Raphael managed to make out that this was the same woman that had led him here. If she was partnered with Ichigo, then maybe he hadn't just walked into a trap. "He's headstrong and vocal," she told Ichigo dryly. "This is going to be the most even match I've seen in ages."

"Match?" Raphael asked, suddenly apprehensive. "Whaddaya mean, match? I ain't fightin' Ichigo."

"Of course you are, Raphael-san!" The turtle looked to see that the disturbingly pleasant voice came from Urahara, who appeared out of nowhere and was now walking towards Raphael with a cane in hand. "You see, I promised that I'd help train your spirit sense, didn't I? Well, what better way to train it than to match it against someone whose _rietsu_ matches yours almost perfectly?"

"So long as you ignore all of the training I've already had," Ichigo remarked.

"Ah, yes," Urahara commented good-naturedly, "but _you_ were never trained to be a ninja! Oh, this is going to be _so_ entertaining, Yoruichi! Thank you for getting Raphael-san out of that sticky situation with Hitsugaya-kun."

"Yoruichi?" Raphael asked, confused. When a quick look around proved that there was no cat in the vicinity, Raphael looked up at the woman who had led him here. "Wait… _you're_ Yoruichi? I thought somebody said ya were supposed to be a cat."

"Be thankful," Ichigo told him as he descended the hill. "She could have transformed in front of you and forgotten to put on clothes."

"I didn't forget," Yoruichi said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I simply find them much too confining. At least felines don't feel insecure about seeing one another in the buff."

"Now, now," Urahara mused in a placating tone. He passed by Raphael and winked at the turtle as he continued towards Ichigo. "Yoruichi isn't one for modesty, but who can rightfully blame her?" Turning towards Ichigo now, he continued, "This will be rather simple. Once Kurosaki's entered his shinigami form, we will train Raphael to be able to see him. Once his eyes are open, they will battle. I'll assess Raphael's progress and we shall continue from there."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Raphael began. "What's this gonna prove? And how's Ichigo supposed to go all shinigami without Kon around?"

"This will prove a most interesting hypothesis," Urahara answered. "I'm afraid that's all I can say right now."

"Why?" Raphael inquired.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Urahara queried. When Raphael didn't answer, Urahara grinned and held up a finger, as though announcing an amazing statement. "If I say anymore, it'll ruin the surprise!"

Raphael stared at Urahara blankly before turning to Ichigo, who was now standing side-by-side with the strange man. "Is he _always_ this much of a whackjob?"

Though there was no direct translation for "whackjob" in Japanese, Ichigo didn't need a translator to understand Raphael's question. "More or less." Holding up the object that he had been twirling before, Ichigo presented it as some sort of badge. "This was given to me by Soul Society when I became a substitute shinigami," he explained. "Remember, I said that I had a way to leave my body without using Kon, but it left my body defenseless. At least with Yoruichi-san watching over it, I know it won't get damaged." Giving Urahara a hard look, he asked, "_Right_?"

With another agreeable grin, Urahara remarked, "Why, you can trust me!"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo muttered, "That's _not_ what I asked."

"Enough!" Yoruichi called to them from her post atop the hill. "Your childish banter can wait until after we've prepared Raphael to deal with Soul Society." Looking directly at the turtle, she told him, "We're not going to go easy on you, Raphael. We can understand your desire to live a peaceful life with your family, and we're going to see to it that you get it. It just so happens that it's rare to experience peace without first going to battle. I don't recommend that you antagonize anyone, but you'd be surprised what sort of casual behavior can be interpreted as antagonistic in Soul Society. If everything I've heard from Ichigo and Kisuke is true, then you've got a lot of questions. Put those questions aside right now and concentrate on doing your best to beat up Ichigo. You probably won't get a chance like that again!"

Raphael looked up at the woman staring down at him with a stern expression. She almost looked like some sort of a professional, and she was giving him the go-ahead to beat down an ally during a spar. It seemed rather ruthless. With a smirk, Raphael remarked, "Call me crazy, lady, but I like ya."

"All right, you're a crazy lady," Urahara stated. "A crazy lady who should consider ducking."

Before he could look at Urahara and ask what he meant, Raphael felt something strike his jaw. Caught off-guard, Raphael stumbled back and looked around. Though he couldn't see anything, he noticed that Urahara was now propping up Ichigo's slack body. It didn't take a genius to realize that Ichigo had gone into his shinigami form and snuck in an easy shot.

"You sneaky twerp!" Raphael growled out. "That's cheatin'!"

"Technically," Urahara brought up as he dragged Ichigo's body to the foot of the hill upon which Yoruichi was standing, "we never specifically laid out any ground rules. We simply said that we were going to train you to see him."

"And him blindsidin' me is your idea of trainin'?!" Raphael asked, moments before getting his feet kicked out from under him.

"Precisely, Ichigo," Yoruichi said. As though realizing that Raphael couldn't hear what Ichigo had said, she explained, "The shinigami won't wait until you can see them. Even after training your spirit powers, they have the advantage of using the flash step, which will make them virtually invisible."

"Okay, okay," Raphael growled, taking out his sai as he made his way to his feet. He remembered that Hitsugaya had seemed to disappear in front of him and had mentioned something about Raphael's speed being no use against someone like him. "I get the point. Now shut up so I can concentrate!"

"Put the weapons away, Raphael-san," Urahara called. "We're not at that stage yet."

"Are ya kiddin'?" Raphael yelled. "Ya expect me to spar with some guy who's fightin' dirty and not even lettin' me use my-" Suddenly, he could feel Ichigo's hands reach out for the handles of his sai, as though meaning to disarm him. Working on instinct, Raphael wrenched his weapons away and kicked out in front of him. Judging by the fine spray of dirt that rose from the ground, he had sent Ichigo rolling.

"My, that was fast," Urahara murmured, impressed.

"No," Yoruichi replied, having a better vantage point. "That was dumb luck."

"Oh," Urahara pouted. "Pity."

"Will ya quit yappin'?" Raphael barked out. "Nobody ever said this was some kinda spectator sport." Raphael tried to calm himself down. That typically helped, didn't it? Taking in a deep breath, he tried to think of times when he's fought blindfolded. An opponent can't move towards you without causing some kind of disturbance in the air-

Raphael cried out in surprised when he was hit sharply in the stomach, sending him reeling back. "You bastards," he snarled when he felt his sai being forced from his hands. "What the hell kinda place is this; some kinda vacuum or somethin'?"

"Why yes, in a way!" Urahara answered proudly as Raphael tried to dart for his weapons. "It's one of my own designs! This is the only other one in existence outside of the one beneath my shop! It's not quite as perfect, as it hasn't been aired out since its completion, but it's still quite remarkable. It works best when both of the sparring partners are spirit beings, or at least those with a high spirit sense. I'm afraid that, as you're tied down to your earthly body and senses, it will actually work to your detriment." Being able to see Ichigo drag Raphael away from his discarded weapons by his leg, Urahara scratched his head and wondered, "Should I have mentioned that before?"

"Don't bother with your weapons!" Yoruichi commanded of Raphael. "Even if you cut him, you won't be able to see his blood, and it will either do little damage or too much. Focus on being able to _see_ him."

Raphael kicked at the hand that was hauling him away from his weapons and scrambled away from where Ichigo was. There was no way he was going to be calm about this. And if being calm was supposed to help him see, then it wasn't likely that he'd succeed.

But wait… _Ichigo_ wasn't calm. According to Yoruichi, Ichigo's temperament wasn't too different from Raphael's. And yet their spirit powers had a common enough pattern to catch Urahara's eye. They had something in common. Something that made them stronger. "What are ya fightin' for, Ichigo?" Raphael whispered. "Why did ya start fightin'?"

_"My family was in danger of being killed by a Hollow…."_

That's what Ichigo had said when he was explaining his background to Raphael and Splinter. _"My family was in danger…."_ That's why he became a shinigami. His family needed him. And he needed to protect his family.

_"And when you have something to protect, you become much stronger."_

Karin. Ichigo's little sister had known all this time. The source to her shinigami brother's powers was the need to protect. And she didn't know it as a source of power; she only knew it as a way of life.

Deep in his thoughts, Raphael hardly noticed when Ichigo hit him again, sending him to the floor. He pretended to need a moment to regroup while he went through his memories. He had seen the vague outline of the Hollow when Karin and Yuzu—two strangers—were in trouble. He managed to see the _Menos Grande_ and at least hear Ichigo when that woman had died—and when Leonardo needed his help. And then, on the rooftop, he was able to actually _see_ Hitsugaya… because he needed to get to his family and make sure they were all right.

_That_ was it. _That_ was the common link. Both Raphael and Ichigo felt that need to protect others, and the stronger that need became, the stronger each of _them_ became.

_If I do the wrong thing,_ Raphael realized as he rose, _if I don't make the grade before those Soul Society creeps find me, then Leo or the others might get caught up with that mad scientist captain 'a theirs. I can't let that happen._

Catching a flash of orange out of the corner of his eye, Raphael grabbed hold of Ichigo's fist just before it would have collided with his face. "Sorry Ichigo," he told the surprised shinigami. "I just can't let that happen." He flipped Ichigo over, forcing the boy to land rather hard on his back. Even as Ichigo groaned, Raphael remarked, "Hey, ya look good in shinigami clothes."

"My, my, more dumb luck?" Urahara asked as Raphael moved to retrieve his sai.

"Hardly," Yoruichi smirked, her eyes never leaving Raphael.

"He's certainly a fast learner," Urahara commented, feigning surprise. Clapping his hands, he enthusiastically hollered, "Well done, Raphael-san! Most impressive! Now that your eyes are working, let's see how the rest of you measures up, eh? Draw your weapon when ready, Kurosaki-san!"

"Pfft, piece 'a cake," Raphael scoffed. Watching Ichigo make his way to his feet, Raphael lazily twirled his sai in his hands. "Now that I can see 'im and got your so-called permission to use my sai to kick his can, this is gonna be pretty cut 'n dry."

"Heh," Ichigo laughed dryly. Besides being a bit dusty, he looked none the worse for wear. "Sorry, Raphael. But you're just a little too cocky." When Ichigo reached behind him, Raphael realized that the shinigami seemed to have some sort of large package strapped to his back. It wasn't until Ichigo unsheathed it that he realized it wasn't a package. It was a monstrosity of a sword.

There was no guard, and the blade was probably as long as Raphael was tall. It looked more like an overgrown butcher knife than it did a katana, which is what Raphael had assumed all shinigami fought with. "What the heck is _that_ thing?" Raphael sputtered.

"Its name is Zangetsu," Ichigo told him. "He's my _zanpakutō_. Or, roughly translated… my soul slayer."

Despite the intimidating phrase for the sword, Raphael remarked, "Don'tcha think you're overcompensatin' a bit there, buddy?"

Ignoring Raphael's comment, Ichigo glanced back at Urahara and Yoruichi. "Oi! Don't you think it's kind of unfair, me coming at him with Zangetsu while all he's got are those little things?"

"Oh, we are _not_ gettin' into a discussion about size!" Raphael snarled.

"Belittling the size of his sai?" Urahara mentioned. "What a rather dry pun!"

"Quiet, Kisuke," Yoruichi scolded. To Ichigo she said, "Maneuvering may be difficult, which is why you will merely defend yourself until he gives you cause to attack. Use only the barest limits of your power until he proves worthy of using more."

"Didn't figure I had to _prove_ nuthin'," Raphael remarked. "C'mon, Ichigo. Ya came at me in the water while I was tryin' to save your sister, and I couldn't see ya then. Don't go skimpin' out on me now that I've got a fix on ya."

"Hurting you wouldn't achieve anything," Ichigo replied. "Just come at me and I'll try not to break your weapons until you start annoying me. Who knows; it might not take long."

"Ya got some mouth, kid!" Raphael growled as he charged at Ichigo.

The tips of his sai clashed with the broad side of Ichigo's sword. Though they posed no danger of going through, Ichigo was still surprised that Raphael was strong enough to exert so much pressure on Zangetsu that he was being pushed back. Nevertheless, he countered with, "There's a saying you have here in the West. Something about a pot calling a kettle black. I never really got it when I learned it in English class, but I think you're what some would call a textbook example of it."

"Cute," Raphael grunted. "Really… friggin'… _cute_." He broke his contact with Ichigo and moved to the boy's side. Though Ichigo moved to face him quickly enough, he couldn't set up his sword as a guard before Raphael kicked him hard in the gut. When Ichigo doubled over, the turtle returned the hit to the jaw that Ichigo had administered early on.

He had no reason to hurt Ichigo, but as much as he was loath to admit it, the shinigami had probably faced worse trials than him. Still, there was no reason Raphael couldn't give him a decent run for his money. "I'm startin' to think that ain't a sword at all," he goaded when Ichigo raised Zangetsu to deflect another attack. "Looks to me like ya just use it as a shield and gave it a pointy edge to scare off the bad guys."

"Keep talking, turtle," Ichigo told him as he cautiously circled around him. "Give me a reason to use more power on you."

"Reason?" Raphael jeered. "How about I'll clean your clock if ya don't?" He attacked again, and once again Ichigo deflected him. "Don'tcha get it? Just cuz you're a death god don't mean nuthin'! Alien invasions, megalomaniac monsters… I've seen it all! You're just a punk with a big sword who can go invisible if I don't focus on ya! Big whoop!"

"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara called gaily. "Increase Zangetsu's strength, if you please!"

Ducking below the reach of Raphael's sai, Ichigo muttered something in Japanese that Raphael took to mean something along the lines of, "About time." Raphael was about to retaliate when he felt a strong presence suddenly fill the room. It was as though the air grew heavier and constricted Raphael, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"I don't think _you_ understand," Ichigo remarked, noting that Raphael could indeed feel the increase in his _rietsu_. "Your aliens and monsters are _nothing_. It's like your sensei said; calling the Hollows 'evil spirits' was just a way to simplify them. They were people once. Good, honest people. But after they became Hollows, that didn't matter. There's nothing anyone can do for them except kill them before they destroy others. Can you do that, Raphael? Can you strike down a monster, knowing that underneath its mask, it's someone you used to know? I don't think you can."

Raphael hardly had time to dodge the sudden attack from Ichigo's massive sword. When he turned to face Ichigo, he was surprised that the shinigami had struck down with his sword again, sending it crashing into the ground a mere inch away from Raphael. The turtle looked up and saw Ichigo's face close to his, staring down at him dispassionately. "Or can you?"

"Screw you!" Raphael spat out. He sent a quick jab at Ichigo's face, but missed. As he continued to throw empty punches, he screamed out, "Shows how much ya know, twerp! Ya can't imagine the stuff I've had to deal with. My _brother_! My own brother was one 'a them monsters that I had to fight. Do you know how often I came close to losin' my brothers 'n friends 'n Splinter? Huh? What does your Soul Society care about that, though?"

Ichigo grabbed hold of Raphael's wrist and pivoted behind him, pinning his arm down. "I lost my _mother_," he told the turtle through gritted teeth. "I can't ask you to understand that kind of pain; you're different from me. You never had a mother, and your family isn't as real as mine is. You're only an illusion, a mistake; and that's what got you in this mess to begin with. Your entire existence is the property of people like Kurotsuchi-taichou, so I don't see why you're so unwilling to _submit_."

As painful as it was to have his arm held tightly against his shell, it was Ichigo's words that stung Raphael even more. The kid had been blunt, distant, and sometimes even a little callous… but Raphael had never expected this sort of cruelty to exist within him.

"Bastard!" Raphael screamed, ignoring the pain as he wrenched his arm away from Ichigo and whirled around. He punched again, and this time it connected. Ichigo stumbled into a crouch, seeming to be surprised that the hit drew a trickle of blood from his temple. "Be careful what kinda buttons ya push!"

Looking up at Raphael with a smirk, Ichigo commented, "Well, maybe you're actually smarter than you look, turtle." He stood and stepped back a little, repositioning himself for the next attack. "The question now is whether you're smart enough to understand your current position."

Raphael took Ichigo's words as a smug challenge, causing him to snarl out, "I'm gonna show ya how smart I am after I introduce some small-fry death god to some _real_ death! Let's see if you're still gonna have that stupid look on your face after I rip your head off and use it as a football!"

With another yell, he charged at Ichigo in a red rage. He didn't even get a moment to stop in surprise when he saw with some alarm that Ichigo had disappeared from view. Remembering about the move that could render shinigami almost invisible, Raphael decided that Ichigo must have sidestepped him and was preparing to come in from behind him.

The thought left his mind when he felt a strange sort of warmth was over his plastron. Looking down, Raphael saw a long gash across his chest and realized that this heat came from the flow of blood that poured from his new injury. He didn't even realize that a weapon was still embedded in his flesh until it was suddenly removed, as though in shock.

As Raphael fell to his knees, he thought he saw the grass in front of him bend, as though someone was stepping away from him. _Crud_, he realized, raising a hand to the crimson liquid spilling from his wound. _He didn't move._ _He's… he's right here. I lost 'im again._

"Too bad," he heard Yoruichi say rather unsympathetically. He looked up to see that neither she nor Urahara had moved, though Urahara's face was actually devoid of a smile. "Though I've become fairly neutral towards most of them," Yoruichi continued, "it'd be foolish to deny that in the end, the shinigami are trained to be protectors. Their bodies, minds, and souls are dedicated to carrying out their duties, which exist to ensure the safety of humanity. When they lose themselves in the desire to kill—not just to win a battle, but to _kill_—they are by definition diminishing their own power. I wonder sometimes if most of them even realize that to be true."

Looking down at his own blood staining his weapons, Raphael thought back to his previous battles once again. Yoruichi was correct. He had lost his ability to see the _Menos_ as soon as he had thought about the sense of satisfaction he'd feel upon killing it. And it wasn't until he threatened Hitsugaya that he began losing that battle. And now…. _Did I really just have the urge to kill Ichigo?_

"It's a shame," Yoruichi declared. "You had been doing so well. I actually entertained the possibility that you would be able to enter Soul Society and rescue your brother. I believe it was Leonardo, was it?"

At the mention of his brother, Raphael looked back up at Yoruichi. "What are ya talkin' about?"

With a shrug, Yoruichi explained, "I had gone to your home to warn the others of what was going on. After I left, I sensed the presence of a shinigami. Trailing the _rietsu_, I found you unconscious, and your brother was in the company of Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, who were both under orders to take the two of you back to Soul Society. I carried you away, but it would be a safe assumption that Leonardo was unable to outrun the two shinigami."

She paused for a moment, allowing for Raphael to let this sink in. Seeing Raphael breathing hard as his anger began coming back, Yoruichi finished with, "If you can't pass this training, then it doesn't seem like there's any way you can help Leonardo should the both of you be captured."

_Leo,_ Raphael thought. _I just needed him to be my eyes while Ichigo was fightin' with that _Menos_ thing. I didn't… I didn't know he'd be…. And now he's sittin' in a cell somewhere just because I couldn't mind my own business or see what I was doin'. And if he's in the same place as this crazy Kurotsuchi guy…._

Looking up, Raphael caught sight of Ichigo once more. He was standing a few yards away, looking at Raphael with a surprisingly concerned expression on his face. It was then that he realized that Ichigo had purposely been insulting him, dragging him down, testing him to see how much he could get away with before this point was driven into his head. Though he might thank Ichigo later, that wasn't the primary thought in Raphael's mind right now. Ignoring the pain at his chest, Raphael rose to his feet as he glared at Ichigo.

With a loud grunt, Raphael hurled one of his sai towards the shinigami. Ichigo was pulled back slightly, and a glance behind him showed him that Raphael's sai had pinned the cloth of his hilt's wrap to the ground. When he turned to pull it loose, Raphael tackled him to the ground so hard that he almost lost his grip on Zangetsu.

"Why didn't ya tell me?" Raphael demanded as he held his remaining sai above Ichigo's face, trying to temper his emotions so he won't lose sight of him again. "My brother was in danger and you're just sittin' around testin' me? Why didn't ya just let me know that Leo's waitin' for me?"

Ichigo looked at Raphael for a moment and opened his mouth, as though meaning to respond. Before any words could escape, however, Urahara's lackadaisical voice called out, "More power, Kurosaki-san!" As though speaking to Yoruichi, Urahara said in a quieter tone, "This is just starting to get interesting."

Ichigo hesitated for a moment, unable to move as he looked into Raphael's desperate eyes. As though ridding himself of a stupid thought, he pushed the sai away and quickly brought Zangetsu in on Raphael's left side. Raphael rolled away from Ichigo, dodging the move and allowing for the shinigami to jump to his feet.

_This ain't good,_ Raphael knew. Ducking under another swipe of Zangetsu, he ran for his discarded sai and readied himself for the onslaught. _I ain't gonna get much headway unless I get rid 'a that huge weapon 'a his._

Figuring that Ichigo must have a vast store of physical strength just to wield that thing, Raphael jumped above the next horizontal swing, purposely landing on the broad side of the sword. Ichigo seemed surprised, but he didn't drop the weapon. It was all he could do to watch as Raphael flipped forward, meaning to bring his sai down on Ichigo's arms.

Catching what Raphael meant to do, Ichigo swung Zangetsu out of the way as soon as Raphael jumped, but it didn't save his left arm. He cried out at the puncture Raphael managed to make. Landing besides Ichigo, Raphael withdrew his sai and hoped that the wound was only as serious as the gash on across his chest; that is, serious enough to hurt and limit Ichigo's movements during battle, but not serious enough to take an age to heal. He decided that this was the case when Ichigo blindly swung Zangetsu towards him.

As he ducked beneath the sword, Raphael heard Urahara's infuriatingly pleasant voice cry, "Up the power, Kurosaki-san! Don't be afraid to really let him have it!" Raphael growled as Ichigo took Urahara's direction to heart. The turtle decided that he'd have to give that blond bastard exactly what he deserved after all was said and done.

Raphael lost track of time long before he lost track of how many times Urahara happily called for Ichigo to "let him have it." He was beginning to wonder if Ichigo needed rest or food while in his shinigami form, since it seemed like they had been going at it forever. Still, Raphael was determined not to budge an inch before Ichigo did.

At length, Ichigo leapt away from Raphael and asked, "Are you getting tired, turtle?"

Raphael was breathing hard, and his throat ached with thirst. He could feel the dried blood against his plastron cracking as his chest heaved. Regardless, he maintained his fighting stance and asked, "Why? Givin' up?"

Holding Zangetsu to his back, Ichigo flexed his left arm, as though absently bothered by the small wound Raphael had made. "I've fought for days without stopping before, against enemies that were actually out for my blood," he replied, as though vaguely bemused. "No, I'm not tired. I only ask because these little dojos of Urahara's don't represent the current time. There's no nightfall; only day. There's no way to tell _how_ long we've been fighting. Maybe five minutes, maybe five hours… maybe five days. If you push yourself-"

Ichigo was shocked when Raphael interrupted with a sharp yell and quickly closed the distance between them. The suddenness of the move forced Ichigo to resort to using Zangetsu as a shield once again as Raphael came down on him with both sai. Once again, Ichigo was surprised that the turtle was able to push against Zangetsu with so much strength that he was forced backwards.

"Ya mean to tell me that I mighta already wasted _days_ playin' war with ya?" Raphael growled. "Wasted days 'a my brother's time? And ya don't tell me this 'til _now_? In that case, I'm gonna end this, right n-"

"Break time!" Urahara cheerfully proclaimed.

Having forgotten that Urahara existed as an actual person and not just a detached voice that asked for more power, Raphael turned around and allowed for Ichigo to back away from him. Urahara was clapping his hands approvingly, stating, "I'm quite pleased with your progress, Raphael-san! We might just be able to make something useful of you yet!"

Raphael looked to Ichigo, who had warily put down his sword as though worried that Raphael would still attack. Thoroughly exhausted, Raphael put his weapons away, hoping this wasn't just a moment of false security before Ichigo unleashed some other weird power.

"No one's wasting Leonardo's time," Ichigo told him quietly. "Except for maybe my sisters or Kon." When Raphael gazed at him questioningly, Ichigo clarified, "Just after I got Yoruichi's call to get here, Leonardo appeared at my door and told me that Toushiro had let him go. Yoruichi insisted I come alone, so Leonardo's watching over Karin and Yuzu right now. Kon should alert him if he feels the presence of a shinigami nearby, so he's as safe as he can be."

Taking all of this in, Raphael turned to look at Yoruichi. She was descending the hill, her arms still crossed over her chest. As he realized that Yoruichi had purposely let him believe that Leonardo was in danger in order to help him fight in exactly the same way Ichigo purposely angered him, Raphael saw a small smile appear on her lips. "For the record," she said, "everything I told you was true. The last I saw of him, he was in the company of Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, and I simply neglected to add that he was allowed to escape."

Gingerly touching his wound, Raphael muttered, "Looks like Blondie ain't the only tricky bastard around here."

Slowly approaching Raphael with his cane, Urahara mentioned, "You did fairly well to hold your own against Kurosaki, Raphael-san. I should know; I trained him! Providing you're well enough, your next lesson will involve learning the special speed technique known as the flash step."

"The flash step?" Raphael asked. "Ain't that the stuff that death gods use to move fast?" When Urahara confirmed this, Raphael told him, "But, when I was fightin' that kid, that Captain Hitsu-whatever, he told me that I couldn't be as fast as 'im cuz I still got a physical body, and he's a spiritual being."

"And Hitsugaya-kun was absolutely correct!" Urahara told him cheerily. "Therefore, we will need to find the more spiritual side of you! Kurosaki-san, please be so kind as to catch Raphael-san's body when it falls."

"Body?" Raphael inquired, alarmed. "Whatcha mean, my body?"

Urahara's only response was a small smile as he raised his cane, its tip aimed between Raphael's eyes. Raphael was able to make out some sort of insignia on the tip involving a skull and some sort of blue flame. Then came an odd jolt as Urahara lightly tapped him with the walking stick. Looking down, Raphael saw that there was suddenly a vaguely familiar-looking chain attached to his chest. Glancing back, he felt a chill as he watched his unconscious body fall into Ichigo's waiting arms.

"Lesson two," Urahara smirked.


	7. Chapter 7

"What the heck didja do?!"

Raphael was beside himself. Ichigo was slowly setting the turtle's comatose body down, and a chain was connecting it with Raphael's soul. Whirling to face Urahara, he repeated, "What'd ya do to me, ya psycho? This is the same chain I saw on the dead lady earlier! Didja kill me? Am I dead?"

"No," Urahara answered quietly. "It isn't." Raphael then noticed that both Urahara and Yoruichi were looking down at the chain, clearly apprehensive about something. Crouching down to where the chain was dragging on the ground, Urahara poked at it experimentally with his cane. "It's not the same."

"It's red," Ichigo exclaimed. "Why's his chain of fate red?"

_Chain 'a fate?_ Raphael wondered, watching Ichigo stoop down to observe it as well. _Is _that_ what it's called? I don't think it's much of a good sign if my mine's red. Woulda thought they was all the same color._

Ichigo made a small sound and pulled his hand back after touching the chain. "Hot to the touch, eh?" Urahara asked. Ichigo nodded, and Urahara said nothing for a time. Finally he got up and, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, remarked, "Right. Well, let's get on with the lesson, then!"

"Urahara, what does this mean?" Ichigo demanded.

Duly ignoring him, Urahara turned to Raphael and said, "As she's virtually unsurpassed in the flash step, Yoruichi will be your tutor for this part. Which is just as well, as my role in the last lesson was absolutely exhausting."

"All ya did was yell!" Raphael countered.

"I've a very delicate voice," Urahara replied, raising a hand to his throat.

"Just... hold up a bit," Raphael said, putting his hands up. "I might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but I like to think I ain't slow. So either I missed somethin' big, or nobody's been answering any 'a my questions. If _that's_ my body, then what am I?"

"Is this the time to be having identity issues, Raphael-san?" Urahara asked.

Just as Raphael was about to blow up at him, Yoruichi stepped up and explained, "Your soul has just been forced from your body. We have ways of doing it, though we typically steer clear of such actions unless the person has enough spirit power for us to know that they can survive. However, since this training ground is designed to work with spiritual beings, you had a greater chance of survival."

"_Chance_ 'a survival?" Raphael blurted out. "_Chance_? What, do ya guys routinely go pullin' souls outta people?"

"Now, now," Urahara interjected. "Behave. If you manage to survive the rest of the training without putting up too much of a fuss, I might even tell you how to get back into your body. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Urahara," Ichigo spoke out, stepping in between Raphael and Urahara. "What's going on? I've never seen a red chain of fate, and none of them ever burned me. What does this mean for Raphael? Is this the reason you're so interested in him?"

Once again, Urahara remained quiet. Finally, with a dispassionate expression on his face, he began to speak. Raphael was confused until he realized that this was the first time he heard Urahara talk in Japanese. Other than a few key phrases, Raphael's Japanese was terrible and he couldn't pick up on what was being said... which was, of course, exactly what Urahara wanted.

Whatever this red chain meant, Urahara didn't want Raphael to know about it. Why? Would ignorance keep him safe? Would he behave differently if he knew the truth? Or did he plan on manipulating Raphael? Any of those options was as viable as the rest, considering how little Raphael knew about this man and, more importantly, this Soul Society.

It was a long time before Urahara finished. No one said anything, and Raphael looked to Ichigo in the vain hope that the boy would translate. Instead, he couldn't even see Ichigo's face due to the way he held his sword and the position in which he was standing.

"I see," Ichigo finally said. His voice sounded somewhat strained, and Raphael hoped that this was only a sign of the effort Ichigo was using to speak in English. "Fine. I can accept that explanation. However, I hope you don't intend on cutting his chain like you did to me. Given what you just told me, that would be _dangerous_."

"Don't be ridiculous," Urahara laughed genially. "Cutting his chain would force him to either become a Hollow or a shinigami, and we don't want either of those. Besides, his rate of encroachment is nothing like yours. Severing the chain would be a death wish!"

Raphael grew to like his situation less and less. _Force_ him to become a Hollow or shinigami? There was a link between the two? Rate of encroachment? What was that? And... a death wish? "Yeah," he muttered, "I'm definitely votin' ya the most irritatin' person on this little island, just so ya know."

"You might change your opinion once I'm done training you," Yoruichi told him with a smirk. Pointing down at the unconscious body of Raphael, she ordered, "Pick it up and sling it over your shoulder. You'll be carrying your body throughout the lesson."

"What?!" Raphael exclaimed.

"We're not cutting your chain," Yoruichi proclaimed, as though this was all obvious, "and yet we're going to teach you the flash step. If you think you can move faster dragging what's essentially a dead body behind you, you're an idiot. And if that chain accidentally snaps, the rest of us are going to be forced to put you down."

Raphael looked from her to Urahara and back again before moving to look at Ichigo. He noticed that the boy kept his eyes downcast, either in shame or... sadness? "What the hell? What's the big secret? So my chain's a different color. Does that make me some kinda monster? Am I suddenly different from what I was when I still had my body? Don't I deserve to know?"

"Of course you don't, Raphael-san!" Urahara cried cheerily. "That's why we're not telling you!"

Raphael growled at him but was interrupted when Yoruichi spoke again. "Your body. Pick it up. Your soul isn't used to moving about without the confines of a physical mass, so you'll probably tire easily. Before that happens, I at least need to gauge your capabilities. Your family may be safe for now, but who really knows? If you return and discover that something's happened, you need the skills I'm about to teach you. So shut up, listen up, and pick yourself up. Do you understand?"

He wanted to yell at her. He wanted to run away, get out of there, even if it meant breaking his chain and forcing them to "put him down," whatever that meant. But for all of Yoruichi's bluntness, she was right. If he didn't know for certain that his family would be safe from Soul Society, then he'd need to be prepared to fight against the shinigami on their own terms. If that meant learning the secret of super speed while carrying his own body on his back, then so be it.

_Besides_, he thought as he stooped down and grabbed hold of his body, wincing as the hot chain brushed against his skin, _I'll pretend it's Leo. Or Mikey or Don. And that I'm protectin' 'em. Cuz if it comes down to it and one 'a 'em gets caught up in this whole mess and gets hurt, I'm gonna have to learn to carry 'im to safety as soon as possible anyway._

"Right," he told Yoruichi once he had a good grip on his body. "Let's do this."

* * *

"Ohh, I can't believe this!"

Leonardo looked over at Kon, who was lying on his stomach against the armrest of the easy chair. "Here I thought I was going to finally see the world," Kon bemoaned. "See a few shows, meet some celebrities, nuzzle against some wondrously well-endowed blondes... and here I lie, watching a bad movie in which Tom Cruise plays a samurai and babysitting Ichigo's sisters and a giant turtle."

"If my memory serves me correctly," Leonardo told him, "Ichigo told _me_ to watch after the girls. If you'd like, you can go off and join Ichigo wherever it is that these weird friends of his are supposedly training my brother."

"Ha, you underestimate my usefulness!" Kon proclaimed, straightening up. "I, the great Kon, can sense the _rietsu_ of shinigami coming from miles away, so I can alert you to go run and hide away from them before they approach. _You_, on the other hand, have a meager amount of spirit-sensing abilities, so even if there was a shinigami coming up the stairs, you still wouldn't-"

"Shh!" Karin suddenly demanded.

"Yes," Yuzu joined in. "You're distracting the movie."

"No, shh!" Karin told her, covering her sister's mouth with her hand. "Can't you feel it?"

The room suddenly became quiet save for the sounds of _The Last Samurai_. Standing, Leonardo looked out towards the open window. As a breeze sent the curtains billowing, Leonardo suddenly felt it. A presence. Someone with an incredible amount of power was approaching.

"Yaahhh!" Kon cried out, finally sensing what everyone else in the room had already picked up on. "A shinigami! Oh, this is bad! Bad, bad, bad! Darn you, Tom Cruise, for distracting me just when my abilities were needed!"

"Who is it?" Karin asked, already jumping to her feet. "How many of them?"

Kon was obviously jittery and tried to dart into the next room, but Leonardo grabbed hold of him. Looking into the turtle's stern eyes, Kon covered his face with his hands. "It's only one of them! But... it's not Rukia or Abarai or any of our other friends! It must be a lieutenant from Soul Society! I would have felt the presence of a captain, I swear!"

Dropping Kon, Leonardo gasped, "A lieutenant can be just as bad as a captain!"

"Don't worry, Leonardo-san," Karin told him. "You and me can handle this-"

"_No_!" Leonardo said firmly. "Karin, sit back down and finish watching the movie. I don't doubt you're strong, but use that strength to look after Yuzu. It's what Ichigo would want." Before Karin could object, Leonardo turned to Kon and told him, "If the shinigami comes in here, you don't exist. I need you to overhear everything and relay it back to Ichigo and Raphael when they come back."

"Leonardo!" Kon called, seeing Leonardo head for the window. "Where are you going?"

"To put as much distance between myself and the girls as I can," Leonardo answered. "This doesn't involve them." Glancing back at Kon, he mentioned, "Tell Raphael that I'm headed to the junkyard. He'll know what I mean, and hopefully no one else will, if you should decide to squeal."

"How dare you!" Kon exclaimed. "I'm the mighty and honorable Kon! I wouldn't-"

"Take care of the girls, Kon," Leonardo told him just before leaping out the window.

_This is bad_, Leonardo decided as he raced towards the junkyard on the other side of town. _If even Karin and I could pick up on that shinigami, then he must be close. And if it's not a friend of theirs, I'm definitely going to have my work cut out for me._ He remembered how quickly Matsumoto had been running without even trying, and how Hitsugaya virtually promised that the next time a shinigami made its way into Leonardo's life, he'd be in for a showdown.

_I just can't lead them back to Ichigo's family_, Leonardo told himself as his eyes hastily scanned for a sewer. _Raphael could get me involved because he knew that I could take care of myself, but I don't think Soul Society would go easy on Karin and Yuzu just because they're children. And with Kon being their only protection... please, please let me have made the right decision in getting away._

He had barely realized that the streets were bizarrely silent when Leonardo caught sight of a lone figure standing on the street corner he was approaching. Slowing to a stop, he saw that the other person was dressed in the same sort of clothing as Ichigo had been when he had been fighting that monster by the school. _A shinigami_, he realized, drawing his swords.

"Please put your weapons away," the blond death god said without a trace of emotion. "Fighting would only make this more difficult."

"Who are you?" Leonardo demanded.

"I am the lieutenant of the Third Squad, Izuru Kira," came the reply. "I have been ordered to take you and your comrade back to Soul Society. If he isn't in the vicinity and you don't care to divulge his whereabouts, I'm to bring you back by any means necessary. Is that understood?"

"I've got just one question," Leonardo responded, moving into a defensive position. "Don't you think that having half of your hair over one eye is going to severely limit your depth perception during a battle?" Kira remained emotionless.

While he had been willing to follow Matsumoto back to Soul Society before, Leonardo had wondered over why Hitsugaya would willingly let him go. And he also wondered why Raphael needed some kind of special training. For whatever the reason, Raphael had been selected to fight against someone or something in Soul Society, maybe even all of Soul Society at once. And if that were the case, Leonardo was going to side with his brother until he had a reason not to.

"Have it your way, then," Kira stated, unsheathing the sword at his side. "Raise your head, Wabisuke." Leonardo watched as the normal-looking sword changed its shape before his eyes, turning into a sort of angular, J-shaped claw. He was puzzled, as it didn't seem as though that shape was very conducive for slicing an opponent. He didn't have time to think much about this before the shinigami attacked.

Leonardo easily parried all of Kira's blows, but his mind never stopped racing while in a battle. _Wabisuke_. Kon had told him that each shinigami has their own unique sword, called a soul slayer, that possessed its own distinctive attacks. Did the names of the soul slayers hint as to their secret power? _Wabi_, Leonardo knew, meant apology, or it could also be another word for stillness. Would Kira's sword immobilize him if he allowed it to cut him?

Dodging beneath another swipe of Wabisuke and blocking it while on his knees, Leonardo realized that he began to grow tired. His arms were held up above him as he kept Wabisuke off of him, and they were trembling. Did Kira have tremendous strength?

"I can see it in your eyes," Kira said suddenly, his face as placid as always. "You're intelligent. You're trying to figure out how to beat me, and you're wondering why it's getting harder for you to keep your weapons up. I would explain, but someone who won't even divulge his name before a battle probably doesn't deserve such civility."

Leonardo said nothing in return, though he was somewhat entertained that he was considered uncivil by someone who attacked just because the other person was willing to defend himself. Leonardo attempted to jump to his feet when Kira backed away slightly, but found that there still seemed to be a huge amount of weight in his arms. When Kira attacked with Wabisuke once more and clashed against Leonardo's swords, the turtle fell to his knees, hunched over and breathing hard from his efforts.

It was at that moment that it became clear to him. Kira was poised to strike again, but stopped when Leonardo said, "I'm in a position of contrition." Kira lowered his sword slightly, mildly stunned by his words. "Every time our swords touched, my weapons got heavier and heavier, forcing me closer to the ground. Eventually, your opponent is on his knees with his head bowed, as though offering you an apology." Looking up at Kira, he asked, "That's the meaning behind Wabisuke's name, isn't it?"

After a moment of consideration, Kira replied, "I knew you were intelligent." Leonardo was surprised when Kira allowed for him to let go of his swords and rise to his feet. Though he was still tired, it had only been his swords that were affected by Wabisuke, meaning that he still had a chance. He simply had to avoid Kira's attacks. "Are you intelligent enough to stop wasting time and simply go to Soul Society with me?"

Leonardo backed away a few steps, flexing his hands to test what strength remained in them. Instead of answering Kira's question, he said, "Hundreds of years ago, warriors would tell one another their names before fighting. That way, should one of them be killed, he knows the name of the person who killed him. It was thought of as a courtesy. I saw no reason to give you my name since I have no intention of killing you, though I do appreciate the custom."

From his belt, Leonardo withdrew several shuriken and once again moved into a defensive position. He couldn't run and he couldn't let Kira come close enough to strike him with Wabisuke. His only option right now was to use projectile weapons and evasive maneuvers. "My name is Leonardo," he told him. "And my brother's name is Raphael. We're not captains, we're not lieutenants, and we're not part of a squad. But those are the names to remember should something happen to you."

"Your honesty is a rarity, considering where you have been raised," Kira said thoughtfully. "Clearly, you're noble and powerful, despite the fact that you don't seem to know what you're fighting for. It almost makes me wish that we were on the same side."

"Ah, but you _are_, Izuru!"

Kira's eyes widened at the new voice that came from above them. Confused, Leonardo looked upwards and saw that there was another person watching them from the rooftop of a darkened building. If not for the fact that he was wearing quite a bit of white, Leonardo wouldn't have been able to tell that his style of clothing was somewhat similar to Kira's. Another shinigami? But if he was wearing white, as Hitsugaya had been, whereas most death gods wore black, did that mean that this was... a captain?

The unknown figure leapt down from his perch, landing silently and gently on the concrete between the shinigami and turtle. Kira seemed to be at a loss for words before finally stuttering out, "I... Ichimaru!"

"What with this 'Ichimaru' business, huh?" Though none of the other shinigami spoke English with a trace of an accent, there seemed to be something inherently singsong and casual in Ichimaru's voice, putting Leonardo ill at ease. "I don't even get an honorific at the end of my name anymore? For shame, Izuru; I thought we were friends! To think, not too long ago you'd blindly call me Ichimaru-taichou." Looking to Leonardo, the man with the strange smile and almost-closed eyes asked, "Do ya know what 'taichou' means, turtle?"

"You're a captain," Leonardo answered.

"Better than that," Ichimaru told him. "I'm _his_ captain."

"_Was_!" Kira exclaimed, exhibiting the first sign of pure emotion that Leonardo had ever seen on his face. "You've betrayed all of Soul Society, and now you're planning on using the _Alma Roja_ to benefit Aizen! You took my allegiance and twisted it to meet your own perverse needs!"

"Calm down, Izuru," Ichimaru said complacently. "Jeez, you're a good kid 'n all, but you act like what I did was a personal attack on you. I really like ya, Izuru. You're gullible 'n loyal. Those two make a great combination, 'n it looks like Soul Society's making good use of you." Seeming to dismiss Kira, Ichimaru turned to look at Leonardo once more. "Sorry, turtle, but this doesn't seem to be your lucky day."

Though his eyes didn't open any wider, Ichimaru's eyebrows arched upwards in a show of surprise when he heard the loud growl rumbling in Leonardo's throat. While Kira had been his enemy only moments before, Leonardo found out enough from his and Ichimaru's short discourse to know that it was this new silver-haired, fox-faced man who would be the greater enemy. "My name," he breathed, "is Leonardo."

Ichimaru's smile widened a little. "Is that all? Here I thought you were gonna scold me or something for being so mean to Izuru. I know your name, Leonardo-sama. See; I'm even kind enough to give you an honorable title at the end of your name."

"This is Third Squad Lieutenant Izuru Kira," Kira said, suddenly speaking into a cell phone. "I'm in location 4325. Gin Ichimaru has intercepted my bout with the target. Open up a gateway _now_."

"You're wasting your breath, Izuru," Ichimaru told him lackadaisically. "By the time they open up a portal, Leonardo-sama will already be joining me in Hueco Mundo."

The more Ichimaru talked, the less Leonardo liked this. _Alma Roja_? Hueco Mundo? It didn't take him long to realize the link. These were both Spanish phrases... just like _Menos Grande_, the large monster that he had helped Raphael and Ichigo slay earlier that day. "Yeah?" Leonardo asked, glad he still at least had his shuriken for protection. "What makes you so sure of that?"

"Well jeez, I thought you'd be appreciative," Ichimaru responded. "We're already sharing our hospitality with Michael and Donald. No, wait, wrong names. My apologies. Michelangelo and Donatello, right? And your rat-teacher... Splinter, was it?"

Despite himself, Leonardo gaped at Ichimaru in shock. His family? How did Ichimaru get hold of his family? They were all staying with- "Oh, and Miss O'Neil has a lovely apartment. We left her behind, though. It's sad, really; I'm quite partial to redheads."

"Leonardo-san," Kira broke in, "don't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth!"

"Izuru, I'm hurt," Ichimaru said, glancing back at his former lieutenant. "I like blondes too, but I really do prefer redheads." In a flash, he unsheathed his sword and held it to Kira, as though daring him to move.

"It's really your call, Leonardo-sama," Ichimaru continued. "You can go ahead 'n walk through the portal to Soul Society, not knowing what will happen to your brothers 'n getting Izuru's blood on your hands." Leonardo looked back to Kira who, though pained in a way beyond comprehension, tried to remain stoic. "Or you can come back to Hueco Mundo with me and meet Aizen-sama, who actually wants to explain the situation to you 'n will make sure that none of the nasty things living in the area try 'n help themselves to some turtle soup."

Behind Ichimaru, a black pathway suddenly opened up. When a blue-white one showed up behind Kira, Leonardo knew that the former was the way to Hueco Mundo, and the other to Soul Society. A sudden clang of metal alerted him to the fact that Kira had parried Wabisuke against Ichimaru's sword. "Go, Leonardo-san! Hurry!"

"Now, now," Ichimaru scolded, holding his sword up with no effort despite the blow from Wabisuke. "Don't be a pest." When he began speaking more to his weapon than to anyone else, Leonardo knew that he was about to release his sword's power. "Shoot to kill,-"

"Wait!" Leonardo couldn't let that happen. Whatever it was that Ichimaru was capable of doing with his sword, it was probably a lot more than Kira could defend himself against, since he was only a lieutenant fighting against a captain. Kira was only following orders and shouldn't have to be injured because of this. "Take me to Aizen."

"Leonardo-san!" Kira gasped.

"Well, what do ya know?" Ichimaru mused. "He _is_ intelligent."

Leonardo looked at Kira and stated, "I don't know what happened in your past, but I've inadvertently brought it up, and for that I apologize. If you encounter Raphael, tell him what happened. And if you can, please make sure that my friends are safe."

This was it. The only way Leonardo stood a chance against people like these quarreling shinigami would be if Ichigo succeeded in training Raphael. He didn't know what this _Alma Roja_ was, but hopefully Raphael would soon grow strong enough to be able to protect it from whoever it needed to be protected from. All Leonardo could do right now was protect the remainder of his family until this blew over.

"How very touching," Ichimaru said. "You see, Izuru, things can be solved without violence. Of course, I often find that it's less fun that way." With that, Ichimaru drew back his sword before quickly slashing forward, opening a diagonal gash across Kira's torso. The injured shinigami stumbled backwards, and Ichimaru shoved him the rest of the way through the portal. "Don't forget," Ichimaru called, cupping a hand around his mouth, "if you encounter Raphael, tell him what happened!"

"Hm?" Ichimaru's brow furrowed slightly before he whirled around, stopping three shuriken with his sword. "My, my, Leonardo-sama. I didn't take you for someone who'd strike when his opponent's back is turned. I think we might actually get along."

"You said you'd let him go!" Leonardo angrily yelled.

"I did not," Ichimaru congenially protested. "I said you'd get his blood on your hands if you went to Soul Society, but I never guaranteed his safety if you agreed to come with me." Leonardo charged at him, dodging out of the way as Ichimaru struck out with his weapon again. He had momentarily forgotten how fast these shinigami were.

"Cheer up, Leonardo-sama," Ichimaru told him. "Izuru ain't gonna die or anything. He'll be patched up 'n good as new in no time. I just wanted to watch him bleed a little. The kid's way too deadpan for his own good. Nothing like a little pain to make ya feel alive, huh?"

"Is that why you're so cheerful?" Leonardo asked sourly, still on his guard.

"Nope," responded Ichimaru. "I've just had a good life. Now if you'll be nice enough to step towards the portal, I won't have to keep standing guard to make sure you don't go against your word. Aizen doesn't like it when people go against their word."

Leonardo glanced down, eyeing his swords that were lying against the concrete a few feet in front of Ichimaru. "Those?" Ichimaru asked. "Izuru whacked them up pretty good, so it's not likely you'll be able to lift them. But the affects of Wabisuke will wear off eventually. Maybe Raphael will find them and bring them to you."

"If Raphael shows up in Hueco Mundo," Leonardo told him lowly, "then me getting my swords back will be the least of your problems. He's in the middle of an intensive training process with Ichigo Kurosaki, you know. When he gets to Hueco Mundo, there'll be nothing left of the place once he discovers that you've endangered his family."

"Of course," Ichimaru grinned, motioning Leonardo towards the black portal. "That's what Aizen-sama's counting on."

* * *

**Author's note**: Some of the _Bleach_ characters are better known by their given names, and some are better known by their surnames. For consistency's sake, I've been referring to all of the (current) shinigami by their _surnames_. So while some of you may know them as Rangiku or Gin, I've been putting Matsumoto and Ichimaru in the narration. If this is confusing for anyone, please let me know and I'll adjust according. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Raphael cracked his knuckles after Urahara instructed him on how to return to his body.

"I've heard 'a out-of-body experiences," he remarked, "but that was just trippy." When no one responded to him, Raphael looked up and noticed that he appeared to be alone. "Oh cripes, what is this? Another one 'a your cockamamie tests?"

Yoruichi had been right in saying that Raphael would find her irritating by the end of their training session. He wholly expected her to be hiding behind a grassy knoll and getting ready to pounce on him to see if his flash step worked now that he was in his physical body. She had said that it wouldn't, but Raphael had already learned to take everything these people said with a grain of salt. Just because she _said_ it wouldn't work didn't mean that she or Urahara was above experimentation.

Moving cautiously around the closest incline in case someone was lying in wait, Raphael relaxed somewhat when he saw Ichigo in his street clothes resting on the grass. The orange-haired boy caught sight of him and sat up. "Yoruichi got some kind of important message," he explained. "Just when you were starting to stir, she grabbed Urahara and they ran off. Said they'll be in touch."

Confused, Raphael murmured, "That's weird. I don't remember conkin' out or nuthin'. It couldn't 'a taken no more than a few seconds for me to get my bearin's straight after that workout Yoruichi gave me. What, does the whole scenario _always_ change at the speed 'a light when you're dealin' with shinigami?"

"Pretty much," Ichigo said, rising to his feet. After looking at Raphael curiously for a moment, he asked, "How do you feel? Ready enough to stand your ground against Soul Society?"

"If I ain't ready now," Raphael told him as the boy started leading him towards the exit, "then I don't think I'm ever gonna be. Might not be a master 'a speed or nuthin', and maybe I won't be able to go Bruce Lee on some shinigami butt once the playin' field's changed, but I'm hopin' I'll surprise 'em enough to keep 'em off for a bit."

"Doubtful," Ichigo stated as he took a small penlight from his pocket to help light the way in the dark corridor outside of Urahara's training grounds. As Raphael had suspected, it did indeed look like they were in an abandoned subway tunnel. "Most shinigami are old enough to not be too surprised by anything. And since Leonardo told me that they now know about Urahara's involvement, they should probably know that you'd have a few tricks up your sleeve if they ever manage to catch you."

"So much for Leo always gettin' on my case about respectin' the element 'a surprise," Raphael scoffed.

Ichigo was about to tell him that Leonardo couldn't have known that having Urahara on their side would be an unexpected advantage, when his cell phone began to beep. Both of them were somewhat amazed that the phone had any reception this far underground, but neither said anything as Ichigo answered it. "Hello?"

"Kurosaki-san," Urahara said on the other end. "I hope Raphael-san is well-rested. It would appear that certain circumstances have forced the metaphorical ball onto our court. Make your way to the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and 32nd Street as quickly as you can. It's only three or four blocks from your hotel, and Raphael-san should be able to guide you in case you lose your way."

Before Ichigo could ask any questions, the line was dead.

* * *

Raphael stopped short at the sight of his brother's swords lying discarded on the ground.

Slowly approaching them, he hardly noticed the presences of Urahara, Yoruichi, and Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya and his lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. No one said anything as Raphael crouched besides the swords. Before he could pick them up, he noticed something staining the cement beneath Urahara's sandal. He was sure that the man was trying to hide it from him. Blood. A few feet away from Leonardo's dropped blades.

"Before you say anything, Raphael-san," Urahara quickly stated when he saw that Raphael noticed the blood, "I have confirmed that Soul Society is willing to do all they can to retrieve your brothers and only ask that you return with them for safe keeping."

"Brothers?" Raphael asked, looking up at the blond man. The fact that Urahara's eyes were still shadowed by his hat somehow made Raphael even more enraged. "Brothers? You mean it ain't just Leo? Who else they got? Mike? Donnie? Both 'a them?"

Always blunt, Yoruichi saw no reason to hide anything from him. "Your teacher as well. That is, if we can believe everything that Ichimaru told Kira."

"Ichimaru?" Ichigo asked, surprised. "Ichimaru was here? And Kira-san? Don't tell me they had a face-off over Leonardo."

"Kira was bleeding heavily from a sword wound," Matsumoto explained. "I was the one standing by the gateway, hoping to receive both him and Leonardo. Instead, Kira was pushed through, and he told me that Gin... that is, that Ichimaru had..."

Knowing that talking about Ichimaru was always a sore spot for his lieutenant, Hitsugaya spoke up. "From what Kira was able to tell us and from what evidence remains here, he had encountered Leonardo and made another attempt to take him to Soul Society. During their skirmish, Ichimaru appeared and told them that Aizen wanted to speak with Leonardo and already had the remainder of his family hostage. When Leonardo agreed to go to Hueco Mundo-which is the world of the Hollows-Ichimaru stabbed Kira and sent him back to Soul Society. By the time Matsumoto and I gained clearance to come here after them, all we found were Leonardo's swords. I'm assuming that he dropped them during his battle with Izuru, as Izuru's soul slayer often has that affect on his opponents."

Raphael didn't know what Hitsugaya meant about the last part, but he didn't really care. Glaring up at Hitsugaya, he asked, "So ya tellin' me that some sword-wieldin' maniac managed to get rid 'a one 'a your guys with just one swing and now has my entire family over in the world where these crazy Hollow monsters 'a yours come from, and Leo's over there without any weapons?"

There was a moment of silence before Urahara wryly replied, "Oh good. We were afraid you wouldn't understand."

"Shut up, Kisuke," Yoruichi told him before turning to Raphael. "This changes everything, Raphael. According to Hitsugaya, whatever Soul Society was planning on doing with you would have most certainly ended with you being alive. With Aizen, he isn't above plotting someone's demise if it meant getting back at his enemies, even if he runs the risk of hurting himself by killing you."

"What are ya talkin' about?" Raphael asked angrily, jumping to his feet. "Who's Aizen? Why is me dyin' gonna hurt 'im? How'd I become his enemy? I'm sick 'n tired 'a not knowin' the whole story! One of ya had better stop playin' this stupid game 'n let me know what I'm dealin' with 'n what I gotta do to get my family back!"

"I can answer that for ya, turtle."

The group spun around at the unexpected voice. Standing at the edge of a black portal and leaning against a building with his arms crossed over his chest was the silver-haired man that Leonardo had met. Though Raphael had never seen his face before, he could tell by the soft surprised cry from Matsumoto that this was the infamous Gin Ichimaru that she found it so difficult to talk about.

"Ichimaru!" Ichigo cried out. He had taken out the badge that would turn him into a shinigami, but he didn't use it yet. Raphael knew that Ichigo couldn't risk leaving his body defenseless, especially not when the enemy was vastly outnumbered anyway. Hitsugaya immediately put a hand to his sword, and Yoruichi and Matsumoto were clearly on the defensive. Only Urahara hadn't changed at Ichimaru's arrival.

"How 'bout it, turtle?" Ichimaru continued, as though not having noticed the tension his presence caused. "You can leave these guys behind and come to Hueco Mundo, where all Aizen-sama wants to do is explain what it is that makes ya so darn special."

"Don't you move a muscle, Raphael-san," Urahara told the turtle. Raphael ordinarily wouldn't listen, but there was something different about the man's voice. For once, he actually sounded serious. "If you value your life, you won't set foot in Hueco Mundo."

"Then would ya prefer I kill him here?" Ichimaru asked with a wide grin.

"So ya _are_ gonna kill me," Raphael growled. "At least, you're gonna try. Well, I got news for ya, chump-"

"You've been training with Kurosaki and his ever-present mentors, right?" Ichimaru remarked. Raphael was stunned. From what he could gather, this guy was against Soul Society for some reason or the other, so how could he have their knowledge about his recent training? "Don't look so surprised, Raphael-sama. I had a very interesting talk with your brother. Isn't that right, Leonardo-sama?"

From out of the portal besides Ichimaru emerged a bound and gagged Leonardo, moving as though summoned through telekinesis. "Leo!" Raphael cried out. He tried to dart forward at the sight of his writhing brother, but Urahara grabbed hold of his arm and managed to yank him back. Surprised by the man's strength, Raphael crashed against Ichigo and both of them fell to the floor.

"Why, Urahara-san!" Gin laughed. "I didn't think that you were one to use force on your subordinates." To Raphael, he explained, "When you're ready, Raphael-sama, you can look up at your brother. Other than being restricted, he's clearly safe and sound. You see, we decided that he was being a little too rambunctious over at Hueco Mundo, so we thought we'd have better use for him if we simply offered him as a bargain. My orders are fairly simple: return to Hueco Mundo with you after setting Leonardo-sama free so that you can attend to your family in his stead... or kill ya where you stand." Somehow, his grin grew even wider when he mentioned, "I don't think anyone here wants that second thing to happen."

"What do ya mean," Raphael breathed, slowly picking himself up, "'attend' to my family?"

"My job is merely to retrieve or act," Gin replied. "Not explain myself."

"There was a time when you didn't act like such a blindly loyal dog, Gin," Matsumoto told him through gritted teeth.

It seemed that the woman's outburst had some sort of affect on him, but Ichimaru's smile only faltered for a moment. "There was a time when you weren't such a hesitant pussycat, Rangiku. You don't even have a hand on your sword. What happens if I choose to strike?"

"_I'll_ stop you," Hitsugaya told him lowly, beginning to unsheathe his sword.

"We all will," Yoruichi affirmed. "You're gravely outnumbered, Ichimaru. This leaves me to wonder exactly what it is that Aizen has in mind if he sent you out to deal with all of us. He knows we won't just let you get your way."

"With all due respect," Ichimaru sarcastically told her, "Aizen-sama couldn't care less what the lot of you would do. His only concern is speaking to Raphael-sama in order to enlighten him about what he really is. Is that understood, Raphael-sama, or should I begin throwing ludicrous threats towards your brother? I'd prefer not to, as I rather like him."

Tired of hearing everyone saying they'll fight to protect him, Raphael tried once again to move towards Gin. He couldn't stand to see Leonardo tied up, and he was certain that the others could take care of Ichimaru if he tried to go back on his word. And if Michelangelo, Donatello, and Splinter were still in danger, then he'd have to take the risk of getting to them and making sure they were okay. He had training. He was prepared.

"Raphael-san," Urahara said as he held an arm up to block Raphael, as though reading his mind. "I'm going to warn you that, should you decide to go to Hueco Mundo, you will be on your own. Yoruichi and I will not be there to help you, and I strongly recommend that Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto, and Ichigo refrain from following you as well."

A small exclamation came from Hitsugaya and Matsumoto while Ichigo barked out something in Japanese. It sounded as though it were akin to, "Are you crazy?!"

Urahara offered a sideways glance to those at his side. "He is the _Alma Roja_."

Ichimaru's mysterious grin seemed to grow even larger as a stillness overtook Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. Raphael was perplexed. "_Alma _wha-?" At the sound of Ichimaru's laughter, Raphael's anger got the better of him. "Hey, instead 'a standin' there chucklin', fox-face, how 'bout ya offer up some answers like ya promised?"

"Your answers, as well as your brothers," Ichimaru told him laughingly, "are on the other side of this gateway. If I kill ya though, you won't get any answers at all. And while Urahara might like to explain some things to ya, my patience is running a little low. So since Leonardo-sama's a little tied up at the moment, I could think of plenty of ways that he could help alleviate some of my boredom."

Seeing Ichimaru's hand fall to the sword at his side, Raphael pushed past Urahara's arm. "All right, ya got me in a fix. Fine. Put Leo down, and I'm goin' with ya. If the others are there, then I gotta cooperate with ya until I find the right time to stab ya in the back."

"A turtle after my own heart!" Ichimaru exclaimed. "Assuming ya don't stab me in the back anytime soon, we might end up being friends. That'd be tremendously exciting!"

As Leonardo was lowered to the ground and Raphael slowly walked towards Gin, Matsumoto spoke up once again. "What are you doing, Gin? Don't you know what will happen to you if you meddle with the _Alma Roja_? Don't you know what you're risking?"

It almost seemed to Raphael as though Ichimaru's grin actually disappeared for a moment. The silver-haired shinigami's voice lowered as he replied, "Life's no fun without a few risks. All the same, I'd rather ya stayed here, Rangiku. It'd be a shame for something to happen to that pretty little face of yours." Instantly, Ichimaru's expression returned to normal as he reached out and grabbed Raphael's forearm. "C'mon, turtle. As the people on this end of the world would say, let's blow this joint."

Raphael didn't even get a chance to say anything before he was pulled through the portal and engulfed in darkness.

As soon as Ichimaru and Raphael were gone, Leonardo's binds fell away and he was dropped to the ground. Leonardo coughed several times. The bindings had been rather tight, so he was grateful at least for being released as promised. Still, he looked back at the black gateway still swirling along the wall and wondered over his brother's fate.

Someone stooped besides him, and he turned to see Urahara crouched besides him. "Are you all right, Leonardo-san?" Though his voice sounded concerned, Leonardo couldn't help but notice that the man's eyes were focused on the wall, as though dreading something horrific coming out.

"Yeah," Leonardo muttered, making his way up to his feet. "I'm surprised. Nothing wounded but my pride." Following Urahara's gaze as the man stood up, he added, "Ichimaru lied. My brothers aren't there. It was just his way of luring me there to get a bargaining chip for Raphael."

"Of course," Yoruichi remarked, her arms crossed as she glared at the wall. "Aizen has no use for any of you save the _Alma Roja_. Ugh, how could that blasted turtle be so stupid as to walk right into the wolf's den?"

"Hey!" Leonardo barked out reproachfully.

"Don't be so hard on him," Matsumoto told Yoruichi. "He loves his family. If something happens to them, I don't suppose he thinks it matters much what happens to the rest of the world. Love is like that." Leonardo noted the wistful tone to her voice, and wondered what had happened to make the confident and cheery woman so contemplative.

"Then he's an idiot," Yoruichi went on. "And selfish, to boot. All of creation shouldn't have to suffer because of the sentimentality of one turtle."

"All of creation?" Leonardo asked, perplexed. "Okay, wait, I'm sure Ichimaru probably claimed Aizen and I had some kind of chat, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I didn't manage to overhear anything important over there, and I certainly don't know how Raphael's actions could affect all of creation. What's the _Alma Roja_, and how is it connected to Raph?"

Leonardo heard a soft muttering coming from someone behind the main group, and he realized that Ichigo had just uttered a quiet curse in Japanese. The orange-haired boy was on all fours, as though looking for something. "My shinigami badge," Ichigo explained, more to the others than to Leonardo. "I dropped it when Raphael fell against me. And now I can't find it."

"He took it, of course," Urahara echoed quietly.

"Did you see him?" Hitsugaya asked.

"No," came the reply. "But he knew that he would be able to use that to extract his spiritual powers. And he also knew that without it, Ichigo wouldn't be able to follow."

"Like hell I won't!" Ichigo blurted out as he jumped to his feet. "You can make me a shinigami by tapping me with the end of your cane! You've done it before, and you're going to do it now before Aizen releases the _Alma Roja_!"

"No," Urahara answered curtly. "I won't." Finally tearing his eyes away from the portal, Urahara glanced over his shoulder at Ichigo. "Raphael is more intelligent than I had given him credit for. He knew that he'd be able to use your badge to his benefit, and he also knew you'd be forced to rely on me to regain your shinigami powers. And in that case, I'm afraid I won't be assisting you."

"Why not?" Leonardo inquired, both confused and desperate. "If you were trying so hard to keep Raphael from the wrong people, then why won't you go help him? Those _things_ I saw over there; they looked like smaller, smarter versions of that _Menos Grande_ I saw earlier! And there was one guy there who looked like he would've been more than happy to dissect me if Aizen gave him the okay."

"What a blessing that he won't get the chance then, eh?" Urahara mentioned, not liking Leonardo's interferences.

"He'll get the _chance_," Leonardo attested, "but he won't be able to." This was crazy. He had believed that Urahara and Yoruichi were friends of Ichigo's, so why would they just stand by and let Raphael get hurt? "Ichigo," he said, finally deciding to give up on Urahara, "the hotel's not too far away. We can go grab Kon and you can use him to turn into a shinigami. The portal's still open, so maybe we'll be able to get back in time."

"Good idea!" Ichigo told him. He was about to race off in the direction of the hotel, but Urahara grabbed him and pulled him back. He cried out when he felt himself fall onto the pavement.

"And have neither of you wondered _why_ the portal is still open?" Urahara asked. Turning away from Ichigo, he said, "Hitsugaya-kun, be so kind as to make sure Ichigo isn't tempted to do anything foolish."

Ichigo tried to sit up, but stopped when Hitsugaya unsheathed his soul slayer and held it poised in front of him. "Tch," Hitsugaya told Urahara distastefully. "It's _Captain_ Hitsugaya. You should know better, Urahara."

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo demanded.

"Let him go!" Leonardo cried out.

"Captain!" Matsumoto called to Hitsugaya. Seeing that he wouldn't listen to her, she turned to Urahara and Yoruichi. "Someone, please! I understand why you're doing this, but Leonardo doesn't. Don't you think someone should explain to him what's at stake here?"

There was a moment of tense silence. Just when Leonardo wondered if he'd be able to get past Urahara and grab his discarded swords to see if they were useable, Yoruichi spoke up. "Intrigue's overrated, Kisuke. If his brother's going to die, he's got a right to know why."

Urahara sighed deeply. "Delicate as always, my dear." Looking now to Leonardo, he conceded, "All right, I suppose that's fair. While Raphael's training with us helped to make Hitsugaya and Matsumoto visible to him, you haven't had the benefit of our lessons. Your spirit power is quite exceptional, Leonardo, and for that you deserve praise. But that doesn't mean that you can just run blindly back into what some people would consider Hell and expect to come out on top."

"You're stalling," Leonardo observed bitterly.

A grin surfaced on Urahara's face. "You're perceptive! What a refreshing change from your brother!" Noting Leonardo's harsh glare, Urahara cleared his throat, meaning to go on. However, before he could continue, the more straightforward Hitsugaya spoke up.

"The _Alma Roja_ is the first soul that ever lived," he explained, keeping his sword on Ichigo while he glanced at Leonardo. "Long before shinigami existed to perform the proper soul burials, this soul was already walking the earth. Once the laws of Soul Society were established, shinigami buried the souls that had previously been endlessly reincarnated, granting them rest. There was an account, however, of a shinigami who encountered a soul with a red-hot chain of fate connecting it to its former body. Before he could call it in for it to be studied, the soul vanished of its own accord, showing a remarkable rate of reincarnation."

"It proved to be elusive," Yoruichi went on. "While a soul gains a different personality and different set of memories with every reincarnation, it's still the same soul, and spending so long in an unending life cycle grants it a certain kind of strength, hence why shinigami make it a point not to keep a stray soul hanging around Earth too long. It was centuries before a shinigami managed to perform a soul burial on the _Alma Roja_, and even then, it didn't stay in Soul Society long. It was so powerful that we couldn't help but place it back into the reincarnation cycle before it destroyed us all. Now that our technology has gotten more advanced, we're better equipped to deal with it rather than leave it loose in the world. We need to get it behind the walls of Sereitei as soon as possible."

"Sereitei?" Leonardo asked.

"The capital of Soul Society," Ichigo answered, moodily rising to his feet. As he brushed his trousers free of dirt, he elaborated, "The place where the shinigami live. They want to contain it so they can study it."

"Not quite," Urahara replied. "It must be contained for the sake of safety. During its stay in Soul Society, it was discovered that the _Alma Roja_ was a primal force. When forcibly parted from its host-in other words, when its body dies- it becomes a little more unstable. This instability will inevitably become so chaotic that it can cause cataclysmic damage at the death of its final host. Because of their capacity for reason, the death of a human is an exceptionally jarring experience for a soul. As such, they've seen to it that the _Alma Roja _would from thenceforth reside within the bodies of animals. Thus it would ease the volatility that would have intensified had it been reincarnated as a human."

Realization dawned on Leonardo's face. "An animal. Like a turtle. Like Raphael... or like what Raphael started out as."

"Precisely," Urahara said with a nod. "Your genetic mutation was an unforeseeable dilemma. I knew that there was something different about Raphael based on his _rietsu_ readings, but it wasn't until the training period that I realized that he was the _Alma Roja_. But given his human characteristics... and his surprisingly short temper... and the fact that Ichigo nearly burned his hands when he touched Raphael's chain..."

"In all likelihood," Yoruichi broke in, "this is the last sustainable incarnation for Raphael's soul. It's wholly possible that, upon his death, he won't be the only one to die. Research has indicated that being in the presence of the _Alma Roja_ while it's at its end will be the equivalent of sitting atop of an atom bomb."

Leonardo blinked at the lot of them, trying to wrap his mind around all of this. "So basically... Raphael's soul is the first soul to ever walk the Earth and it's now dying out, so if Aizen or Ichimaru decide to kill him, they'd essentially be unleashing a power that would destroy the world."

"My," Urahara remarked, "you turtles are certainly good with summaries. You should consider getting jobs as Shinigami Academy lecturers. I'm sure the students would appreciate the-"

"Shut up, Kisuke," Yoruichi ordered. "I'm finding myself having to say that a lot lately, so let's view this with the gravity it deserves, all right?"

"It's simply another end of the world," Urahara told her, though his expression went slightly grim. "What's a restorative vacation to New York City without a decent apocalypse to keep us on our toes?"

"How can you treat this so lightly?" Leonardo inquired. "My brother's basically being used as a ticking time bomb for some kind of terrorist act by a bunch of disgruntled former shinigami. Aizen could be setting him up anywhere right now, from Times Square to Tokyo, and-"

"He could," Hitsugaya interrupted, sheathing his sword after ascertaining that Ichigo wasn't going to try to bolt. "But I don't think he is. Aizen is a power-hungry traitor; he wouldn't hide his true nature from us for so long just to annihilate us with the _Alma Roja_. Sending Ichimaru out after us and arbitrarily wounding Kira... it reeks of improvisation. Aizen's big move wouldn't rely on improvisation."

"You're right," Matsumoto agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Men like Aizen want to take over the world. What's the fun of taking over the world if you're just going to destroy it?"

"Then what does he want with Raphael?" Ichigo asked. "Is he going to try to harvest the _Alma Roja_'s power or something?"

"That sort of power can't be harvested," Urahara stated. "As I said, it's a primal force. It is what it is. The _Alma Roja_ at the end of its cycle has only the power to destroy, and nothing more."

"Then what-" Ichigo started.

"What were you going to do?" Yoruichi asked. "When you saw him go through the portal, weren't you planning to go in after Raphael? Isn't that what you were looking for your badge for?"

"Aizen knows of your history of protecting your friends," Urahara told him. "So if you considered the _Alma Roja_ a friend, he wouldn't need to lift a finger to get rid of you. It may be the equivalent of killing a fly with a missile launcher, but Aizen knew that you would be likely to follow after Raphael. Perhaps he was counting on us not discovering the truth behind Raphael's origins until it was too late and also going in to help him. Imagine, not only destroying you, a captain, and a lieutenant, but also doing away with two people as dashing as Yoruichi and I!"

"Can't you take _any_thing seriously?" Hitsugaya asked disdainfully.

"Especially when I'm at least as attractive as the two of you are," Matsumoto brought up.

With a small, worried sound, Leonardo put his head in his hands. "And _you_ guys are the people who are in charge of every human's soul when they die? Please tell me there's a separate realm of Soul Society reserved for turtles."

"You'll never find out if we don't figure out what to do," Yoruichi said.

"I already _know_ what to do," Ichigo declared. "I'm going to go through that portal and get Raphael out of there. If Aizen wants to try and get rid of me, then he's welcome to try. We don't know what the _Alma Roja_'s really capable of. Maybe your scientists just strung a bunch of theories together and came up with something that'll make you want to find the _Alma Roja_ and bring it back to Sereitei. We don't know, do we?"

"No," Urahara agreed, "we don't."

"See?" Ichigo threw at him. "Then-"

"As you said," Urahara continued, "we don't know precisely _what_ the _Alma Roja_ is capable of. It's all conjecture. However, while you could be an optimist and think that the released _Alma Roja_ will simply emit a scent of roses, you can also be a realist and face the facts; all of Soul Society's greatest geniuses attested to the destructive powers of the dying soul. And they also said that those most likely to suffer most from the _Alma Roja_'s affects are those made of spirit particles. If you go in there in your shinigami form, you're likely to be a victim of the ill effects of the _Alma Roja_ regardless of the extent of its dangers. And in your mortal body, you're even easier prey for those in Hueco Mundo."

"And the four of you are shinigami, aren't you?" Leonardo added. "So the same pretty much applies to all of you."

Matsumoto was the one who instantly knew what Leonardo was getting at. "That leaves Leonardo as being the most eligible of us to go on the retrieval mission."

"Don't be a fool," Yoruichi told the turtle. "If Ichigo can't go in with his human body, then you're not much better off going in like that, especially not alone."

With a determined glint in his eyes, Leonardo proclaimed, "I won't _be_ alone."


	9. Chapter 9

When Raphael emerged from the haze, he was standing in what looked like a room carved in stone.

The entire area was colored in nothing but black or white, leaving the turtle to stand out like a sore thumb. He became aware of several pairs of eyes staring at him from the shadows, and he was able to turn enough to see someone with bright blue hair and matching eyes stare dispassionately at him. Before Raphael could open his mouth to speak, Ichimaru pulled at him sharply, forcing him to fly to the floor in the center of the room. He resisted the urge to growl as he picked up the sound of at least one voice laughing in the darkness.

"Now Gin, that was thoroughly inappropriate," said a quiet yet authoritative voice in front of Raphael. "He is, after all, a guest. And a rather famous one, at that. We wouldn't want to make him angry, would we?"

Raphael scrambled to his feet and looked up. Sitting in a simple and yet oddly grand chair atop of a short dais, he saw someone clad in the same sort of pseudo-shinigami clothes as Ichimaru. His thick brown hair was impeccable save for a strand that he allowed to fall over his eye. Judging by his innate hatred towards him, Raphael managed to work out that this must have been Aizen.

"My apologies," Ichimaru replied in a voice that didn't sound the least bit apologetic. "You see, he threatened to stab me in the back the first chance he got, so I thought it best to make sure he stays in front of me. Just a little over eager, as always."

"Where's my family?" Raphael asked Aizen, determined to get them out of the way first.

Aizen stared down at him with some amusement in his dark eyes. Finally, he said, "My, you're rather straightforward, boy. You leave no room for pleasantries. Would you care for a cup of tea, or would you like me to tell you right off the bat that your family is safe in the real world?"

"I already knew that," Raphael admitted. "Didn't think ya had any reason to go after all of 'em 'n hand Leo back in exchange. We had some stupid enemies before, but I heard enough about ya to know ya ain't stupid."

"Should I view that as a compliment?" Aizen queried, still amused.

"If ya do, at least pretend to be insulted," the turtle shot back. His hands went for his sai as he added, "I had a bunch 'a people talkin' _at_ me today, and I wanna get somethin' straight. You're gonna talk _to_ me. You're gonna tell me what this _Alma Roja_ mumbo-jumbo is, what it's gotta do with me, and what crazy scheme you're hatchin' up with it. And then you're gonna sit nice 'n quiet while I poke at ya 'til ya bleed."

"He pokes!" Ichimaru scoffed lightly. "We should be very careful with him. Some of us might wind up with holes in our chests!"

Though he didn't fully understand why the unseen audience behind him was chuckling, Raphael was satisfied when they quieted down as he withdrew his sai and held them for all to see. "If I get within a foot 'a any 'a you with one 'a _these_, holes are gonna be the _least_ 'a your worries."

Raphael tensed when he heard the rustling behind him and knew that some of Aizen's forces were stirring. They quieted down when Aizen rose to his feet and told them, "Now stop this. There's no need for idle threats or chiding remarks-"

"What makes ya think they're _idle_, Elvis?" Raphael growled.

Aizen narrowed his dark eyes at the turtle for a moment before continuing. "Our guest is here for answers, and we'll give him answers. He simply needed an incentive to bring him here, and now that that's done, there's no need for lies." Descending the dais, he beckoned to Raphael. "Please, Raphael, follow me."

Raphael felt a low growl rumbling in his throat as he contemplated his choices. He didn't know how many were behind him, so blindly hacking and slashing would probably not be the best of ideas. Plus, he was almost certain that the ever-grinning Ichimaru was standing besides him with his sword at the ready. Much as he hated to follow Aizen into an adjoining, darkened room and leave the safety of the still-open portal, Raphael didn't think now was the best time to try his luck. Rushing blindly into danger was one thing; rushing blindly into danger when your enemies can possibly destroy _souls_ was something else entirely.

Stepping into the room, Raphael immediately saw what accounted for the meager amount of light. A white orb of some sort was displayed on a pedestal, besides which Aizen had come to a stop. Though he didn't know why, Raphael found that he couldn't bring himself to edge more than a few feet into this display room. _Something about that ball 'a light,_ he realized. _It's givin' out a whole lotta power._

"Let me, if I may, make an introduction," Aizen told him. "This item is known as the Hougyoku. It was created by a very ambitious young scientist who, for all his genius, didn't have the proper insight to use it for all its worth. I was forced, therefore, to take it out of his hands and have been putting it to very good use."

Instead of elaborating on its use, Aizen turned wryly to the Hougyoku and remarked, "Hougyoku, I'd like you to meet Raphael, the _Alma Roja_. He has been asleep for a very long time. It is now time to force him to open his eyes."

And open they did, for Raphael's initial reaction was to widen his eyes upon seeing the dim white light of the orb instantly grow to almost blinding proportions. He tried to shield his face from what he imagined would be an explosion, but he found himself incapable of movement and wracked with pain. _Wha... what's happenin' to me?_

As though having read Raphael's mind, Aizen's voice came from the bright abyss and said, "We are conducting an experiment, Raphael, and it pains me that we cannot replicate the results should they prove to be successful. Given the research made by Soul Society and by my Espada, the _Alma Roja_ has only the power to destroy, and nothing more. While a good portion of the Earth's population will have to be slaughtered at some point, my plans do not involve the complete annihilation of all creation. Why rule if I have no subjects, after all?"

From somewhere behind Raphael, an unfamiliar voice spoke out. "Aizen-sama! The special forces units have been dispatched from Sereitei and will arrive in approximately seven minutes."

"How disappointing," Aizen sighed. "I would have thought that they'd catch wind of us long before now. Oh well. I'd rather have too much time to spare than risk being interrupted. What of the group in New York, Tousen?"

As Aizen spoke, the brightness in the room dimmed down and a nearly-audible _pop_ filled the room as darkness returned. Crying out, Raphael found himself reeling on the floor, his heart pounding and beads of sweat rolling off his forehead. _Like a heart attack or somethin'... can't move...._

At the doorway, the one known as Tousen replied, "It seems as though they're still hesitating, but I saw Lieutenant Matsumoto contact shinigami headquarters. They will doubtlessly learn of our true location and will make the predictable choice."

"Excellent," Aizen rejoined. "Then I suggest you set up our welcoming committee. The rest of the Espada may return to Hueco Mundo."

_Hueco Mundo_? Raphael thought, bewildered. _I thought that's where we already _were_. What the heck is going on here?_ Though he tried to move, he seemed to be suddenly weighed down at his center and his limbs were numb, almost as though they were no longer attached to the hunk of flesh that was his body. He found that he couldn't even squirm in frustration, which was just as well. Given Aizen's infuriating leer as he moved towards him, Raphael didn't want to give this guy the pleasure of watching him squirm.

"I regret that I won't be here to watch your soul take its true shape," he told the immobilized turtle. "It poses far too great a risk, you see. But my commanders will be in touch, being brave enough to stand by and greet your friends even though it poses such a danger to them. You've already met Gin."

"Oh yes," came Ichimaru's familiar voice from somewhere behind Raphael. As Aizen disappeared from view, Ichimaru continued, "I've heard a good deal about your brothers, but the only one I was fortunate enough to spend any time with was Leonardo-sama. Heaven knows _he's_ a boring conversationalist, so to have an opportunity to guard the _Alma Roja_ should be _far_ more entertaining."

"Couldn't be more right," Raphael spat out, surprised to find that he could form the words. "I've got some choice things I'd like to say to ya. And heck, no time like the present, right, ya creepy bastard?" As Ichimaru threw his head back and laughed, Raphael experimentally twitched the fingers on one of his hands. From what he could tell, they moved.

"You _do_ realize, turtle," Ichimaru told him jovially, "that the only thing keeping me from hacking ya into little bits is the fact that, once your heart stops beating and your soul comes out to play, this dumb world ends, right? Why else would we bring you to Soul Society instead of Hueco Mundo? We used the Hougyoku to start eroding your chain of fate, and once it breaks, Soul Society and the shinigami will-theoretically, at least-be history. To put it in little words for ya: you're _dyin'_, turtle. And you're gonna take a whole lotta people down with you into Oblivion."

From the main room, someone laughed out, "Here they come!"

While Ichimaru turned his attention to the ensuing skirmish, Raphael's thoughts raced. So _that's_ what that bright light had done to him. It was like throwing acid onto his chain of fate, the chain connecting his soul to his body. So why didn't it affect Aizen or anybody else in the room?

The simple answer, Raphael soon realized, was that he was the only one in the room who _had_ a chain of fate. From what he had learned from Urahara, shinigami are made entirely of soul particles and need to adopt a human body to be made visible in the physical world, hence why Raphael couldn't see them without focusing his spirit power. So if Aizen and the others were, as he believed, formerly shinigami, then that meant that they were all spirit particles. What would happen, then, if...?

The corners of Ichimaru's lips tilted slightly downwards, though he couldn't be strictly said to be frowning. They had believed that Urahara and Yoruichi would stay behind in New York, and that only Leonardo, Ichigo, Matsumoto, and Hitsugaya would go through the portal, and thus they had left three fighters behind in the main room. They had been _partially_ right. While Urahara and Yoruichi had indeed neglected to join the battle, Leonardo was accompanied by two more turtle allies, and a furry creature that could only have been a rat. "Oh," he whined quietly, noting that they were vastly outnumbered and he would thus be needed to join in the fray. "That's unfortunate."

Sensing a spike in Raphael's _rietsu_, Ichimaru's eyes widened ever so slightly as he whirled around. He managed to see just as the turtle retrieved a shinigami badge that he had hidden away before he brought it to his heart, activating it. Not knowing what to expect, Ichimaru took a step backwards, walking right into a flying kick from one of the new turtle arrivals.

"Okay, skinny kid," Michelangelo remarked, his nunchucks at the ready. "I'm only gonna ask you this once. Where's...?" His voice trailed off as he got a look at two figures in front of the fallen enemy. One of them was his brother's comatose body lying on the ground. The other was... "...Raph?"

Raphael rose to his feet, disoriented by the feeling of stepping over his own body. Though this had happened before during his training with Urahara and Yoruichi, there were a few things very, very different this time around. For one, there _was_ no chain of fate, red or otherwise. He couldn't understand it at first until he noticed another difference: he was wearing clothes. Not just any clothes, either. Holding his arms out, he looked at the black and white robes covering his body and realized why there was no chain of fate. He was a shinigami.

That was when the third difference dawned upon Raphael. Not only was he no longer in pain, but he felt good. _Really_ good. Scary good. _No chain 'a fate_, he realized. _Nuthin' tyin' me down to my body. It's just me... the _Alma Roja_, whatever that is. And like that guy said, I've only got the power to destroy._ Grinning down at Ichimaru as the man slowly made his way to his feet, Raphael murmured, "I am _so_ gonna enjoy this."

Michelangelo darted back, pressing himself against the wall as Raphael lunged for the guy he had kicked. He had _no_ idea what was happening, or why it looked like Raphael's ghostly form-which seemed to be wearing a kimono or something-was moving at the speed of light. He could see the more solid figure of his brother's body laying on the floor, and it didn't look like he was breathing. Oh man. Not good, _not good_.

Scurrying out of the room, Michelangelo turned to the pair closest to him-Matsumoto and Donatello-as they were beaten back by a guy with bright blue hair and matching eyes. Heading behind them even as they readied themselves for another attack, Michelangelo commented, "Guys, guys, I think we're too late! I just saw Raph's ghost, and he didn't look none too happy."

"_What_?!" Matsumoto exclaimed, chancing a glance back at him.

"He just rose up from his own body," Michelangelo explained. "Raph number one's lying stiff on the ground, and Raph number two is all billowy and... and... and kinda like you." Looking at Matsumoto closely, he asked, "Say, what are you again? You're not a ghost, right?"

Surprisingly, the first one to speak was the blue-haired enemy. "He's a shinigami? The _Alma Roja_ is in shinigami form?" With a smirk, he cast a glance towards the room in which Raphael and Ichimaru were last seen. "I'm gonna go get me a piece of that action. Better than watching Wiggles here flaunt her cleavage at me."

"Like I could help it!" Matsumoto shot back. Despite the anger and embarrassment in her voice, she didn't try to make after him. She could see Ichimaru fighting against what looked like an incredibly fast shinigami in the next room, and she didn't know if she'd be tempted to fight him or help him. Before she seriously allowed for either thought to be entertained, she turned to Hitsugaya. "Captain!"

Hitsugaya and Splinter were facing off with a thin, pale man with impossibly large, unemotional green eyes. Judging by their panting breaths and their enemy's composed nature, it appeared that they were losing. "I heard, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya called. "There is little we can do now."

"There is _nothing_ you can do now," replied their opponent. "Nor was there anything that could have been done prior to your arrival. The only portal open now leads directly back to Hueco Mundo. You can either stay here and be killed by the _Alma Roja_, or you can allow us to take your heads back to Aizen-sama as prizes."

"This Aizen creature shall have no prize," Splinter proclaimed. "Not our heads, nor the spirit that resides within my son. Soul Society cannot be destroyed without all of existence falling into ruins, and Aizen should know this. He is a fool to think that he can use a primordial power such as the _Alma Roja_ against the shinigami."

"The only fool I see is the one who would deem to call these green monstrosities his 'sons,'" the quietly condescending man told him. "If it weren't for the fact that I regard you as little more than trash, I would be surprised by such sentiments."

His green eyes widened, then, and he managed to use the flash step technique to dodge an angry blow from Leonardo's swords. "I hate hearing people disrespect my father," the turtle told him darkly. "So I think I'm going to have to shut you up before you say anything else."

"Whoa," Michelangelo murmured, "Leo's been taking some lessons from Raph." The mention of his possibly-dead brother caused him to cast a glance over his shoulder, concerned about what was happening now that _two _of the bad guys were in the room with Raphael's "ghost."

"Leonardo, get back!" Ichigo exclaimed, darting in front of Leonardo. He had managed to transform into a shinigami with Kon's help, and he kept his massive soul slayer between the turtle and his enemy. "This is Ulquiorra Schiffer, the fourth-strongest Espada. I don't want to make him think he's important, but he's too much for you to handle."

"Then we'll handle him _together_," Leonardo affirmed.

"Leo, watch it!" Donatello called out. Leonardo managed to whirl around just in time to see Donatello parry an attack from the blind, dark-skinned man that he and Ichigo had been fighting before. Ichigo had jokingly called the man Kaname-taichou, making Leonardo conclude that this was one of the former shinigami captains that had turned traitor and sided with Aizen.

"Aw, jeez," muttered Ichimaru's voice. Michelangelo and Matsumoto whirled around as the man stopped only a few feet away from them, looking unhappily out at the mess. "What a spectacle. I can't risk Ulquiorra and Tousen being unable to take care of seven of you on their own, especially not with Grimmjow deciding he wants to try to prove something with the _Alma Roja_." With a heavy sigh, he glanced at Michelangelo and remarked, "I really don't like picking up the slack. It puts me in a bad mood."

Michelangelo hardly had time defend himself before Ichimaru's sword rang out against Matsumoto's, who had hurriedly stepped in on the turtle's behalf. Even as unfamiliar with the two of them as he was, he could see Ichimaru's faltering smile and Matsumoto's grievous determination and sensed a complex history between the two of them. "It's not going to end like this, Gin," she whispered to him harshly. "Please don't try to make it end this way."

Ichimaru said nothing for a moment. Then, with a smirk, he answered, "No one said this was the end, Rangiku." He quickly pushed her back with so much force that she fell to the ground, and he didn't even need time to regain his equilibrium before kicking Michelangelo firmly in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Grinning down at both of his fallen opponents, he finished, "I'm only just getting started."

"So am I."

The former-shinigami turned around and had just enough time to use his sword against a barrage of ice from Hitsugaya's sword. The movement forced him back slightly, and Hitsugaya quickly took the opportunity to step in front of Matsumoto and Michelangelo. "No one harms my lieutenant, Ichimaru," he told his ex-comrade. "Between her and Hinamori, you and I have some business to settle."

With a small chuckle, Ichimaru prepared himself for another attack as Michelangelo wondered who Hinamori was. "My, my, Toushiro-kun. It seems I constantly come between you and the women in your life." His voice taking on a colder edge, he added, "Maybe you should have learned by now to stay out of my way, little boy."

Michelangelo braced himself as the two strong shinigami raced towards one another, expecting something akin to the Big Bang and yet unwilling to step between them. Whoever this Gin or Ichimaru or whatever his name was, the turtle quickly decided that he didn't like him one bit. Since it was so rare for him to dislike anyone so immediately, Michelangelo trusted his instincts and stood up, helping Matsumoto to her feet.

"So, uh," he began weakly. "Old boyfriend?" Seeing Matsumoto's wide-eyed glance and sensing a trace bit of anger, he stepped back and amended that with, "Friend, I mean. Old friend? Not that that matters right now. He's about to kick your captain's butt. Outnumbered or not, this is still a clash of the titans thing going on here, and I'm not feeling particularly titan-y."

Though his pop culture reference went over Matsumoto's head, she nodded in agreement. Flinching as Ichimaru and Hitsugaya clashed swords and watching the rest of their allies dealing with Kaname and Ulquiorra, she looked towards the other room as her mind raced.

So, given what Michelangelo had said, Raphael's soul was no longer within his body. With the _Alma Roja_ imbued with the powers of a shinigami, why weren't they all dead yet? Unless.... "We may not have much time," she realized quietly, hardly aware of speaking out loud. "That's why Aizen left the portal to Hueco Mundo open and led us all into a remote sector of Soul Society. The _Alma Roja _is like a ticking time bomb, and when time's up-"

She was cut off by a sharp yell as something catapulted from the next room. Fighting ceased when the blue-haired man that Ichimaru had called Grimmjow skidded to a painful halt on the floor. He tried to raise himself up to his elbows, but his strength failed him and he lay still.

Ichigo gaped at the fallen Espada, shocked. He had fought Grimmjow several times, barely managing to escape each encounter with his life. In terms of difficulty, Ulquiorra was the only other Espada that he had met that could rival Grimmjow's perseverance. So if he had been defeated in the less than two minutes since they had arrived....

"Tch," Ulquiorra sneered. "How pathetic."

"How fortuitous," Ichimaru corrected. "It sure beats an egg-timer. Grab him and lead him into the portal, will you, Ulquiorra?" Turning to his opponent, his smile took on a malicious air as he remarked, "I'm afraid we're going to have to cut our scholarly discussion a bit short, Toushiro-kun. Don't worry, though; I still fully intend to drive my point home." Though Hitsugaya grimaced and prepared to dodge the next attack, they both knew it would be pointless when Ichimaru raised his soul slayer and called, "Shoot to kill, Shinsou!"

As Ichimaru's sword elongated and snaked towards Hitsugaya, the young shinigami knew that even his flash step wouldn't save him now. Judging by Matsumoto's outcry, even she was certain that Ichimaru's sword would hit its target. Hitsugaya was fast, but so was Ichimaru's weapon.

All this raced through his mind in a matter of seconds, leading him to start when he saw something large materialize in front of him and heard the unmistakable sound of metal clashing against metal. He was puzzled for a moment before hearing Leonardo's amazed voice breathing out, "Raph?"

Sidestepping the creature that had intervened, Hitsugaya looked up to see the turtle that he had fought on the rooftop so many hours before. If not for the clear characteristics that defined it as such-the green skin, the large shell beneath the shinigami robes, and the red bandanna-he would have hardly recognized the ninja creature known as Raphael. That was because, he soon realized, this was no longer Raphael. "No," he told Leonardo in a hushed voice. "The _Alma Roja_."

Something seemed to twitch beneath Raphael's skin; a red aura of some sort, trying to become something more tangible than an aura. His sai had been replaced by a pair of three-bladed katars, which he used to easily keep Ichimaru's weapon at bay. And judging by his harsh breathing and the disturbing light in his eyes, he took extreme pleasure in the brief glint of fear that passed over Ichimaru's face. Taking a step away from the turtle, Hitsugaya came to the same conclusion that Matsumoto had: they were running drastically low on time, and the only means of escape was straight into the lion's den.

Looking over his shoulder, he glanced at his lieutenant, who was staring at the spectacle with wide eyes. "They mean to use him to destroy Soul Society," he told her lowly. "The portal is our only hope." Her blue eyes turned to look down at him. She didn't even need him to continue speaking before she understood what he was getting at. "We must force him into Hueco Mundo. It's the only way to save ourselves and destroy our enemies."

"What about Raphael?" Donatello asked. "You can't just-"

"Your brother is dead," Kaname proclaimed, though not without a fair bit of sympathy. "You can either come to Hueco Mundo and join our cause, or you can join him. Unfortunately, Aizen-sama has already stated his preference."

"Quit talkin', Tousen," Ichimaru told him, finally losing his smile and turning his lips down into a harsh scowl as he stared down at the turtle. "We don't care about the mutants. Get rid of that Kurosaki brat, and I'll handle the Tenth Division captain and lieutenant." Smirking sarcastically at Raphael, he added, "That is, if the esteemed _Alma Roja_ doesn't get too hot under the collar."

"For somebody who just told one 'a his stoolies to shut up," Raphael replied, "ya sure do talk a lot." With that, he forced Ichimaru's soul slayer back, causing him to stumble backwards as he reined his blade in. Without looking away from Ichimaru, Raphael pointed one of his katars at Kaname, stating, "Ya take a single step towards Ichigo, and I'm gonna carve ya up so bad you'll think it was Thanksgiving, got that, turkey?"

Being sightless, Kaname couldn't see the change that overcame Raphael nor witness the ease with which he had caused Ichimaru's soul slayer to recoil. But he could sense Raphael's _rietsu_, and noted that it was stronger than any other he had ever known. It made his skin tingle with its raw power. If this... _thing_ got into Hueco Mundo, it would be the end of Aizen's empire before it even began. Reasserting his grip on his soul slayer, he asked, "Ichimaru?" Receiving no answer, he wondered over the silence enveloping the room. "Ichimaru," he repeated.

"Scared off by a lame threat, Tousen?" Ichimaru laughed. Despite the chuckle, his voice was grim. "Go, then. Get outta here. Kurosaki's gonna die anyway. He's not gonna let one of his buddies sacrifice himself, not even for the world." He waited until he heard Kaname shuffling off. Noticing that they were even letting Ulquiorra go towards the portal with the wounded Grimmjow, Ichimaru decided that he was either right... or they were waiting for all of the bad guys to go through the portal before shoving the _Alma Roja_ in after them. He would have to time this just right if he wanted this to work.

Looking up at Matsumoto, he grinned amiably at her. "How about it, Ran? Hueco Mundo ain't so bad once you get used to it. It's gotta be better than complete oblivion by way of an angry turtle, huh? Sounds like a pretty pointless way to die."

"Don't knock it 'til ya try it," Raphael retorted. "Willin' to give it a go?"

"You're outnumbered, Ichimaru," Leonardo spoke up, standing in besides his brother. Even as limited as his own spirit power was, he could sense the overwhelming change in Raphael. It would have made him break out into a sweat, but he remained composed when he remembered the most important factor in this situation: Raphael was still his brother. Even with the power to destroy the world, that wasn't going to change. "If you had any sense," he continued, "you'd turn around and leave."

"Maybe he's got too _much_ sense," Donatello brought up, stepping in besides Leonardo. "Based on what Urahara told me before we took off, the _Alma Roja_ needs a certain gestation period... it's like a bomb with no strict timer. So if he overheard Captain Hitsugaya talking about forcing Raphael into Hueco Mundo-"

"He's just biding his time," Michelangelo realized, getting over his discomfort concerning Raphael's appearance and moving next to him. Narrowing his eyes, he mentioned, "So I'm guessing that we've gotta make it clear that he doesn't _have_ any time."

"How about it, hotshot?" Raphael asked, gesturing towards Ichimaru with a katar. "Think ya got it in you to fend off the _Alma Roja_ _and_ his three brothers?"

"And father," Splinter added.

"And friend," Ichigo piped up, his soul slayer at the ready.

"_Friends_," Matsumoto rectified. Seeing Ichimaru's surprised glance, she swallowed the hard lump that had formed in her throat as her hands gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "You made a really dumb mistake, Gin."

His voice low, he lightly queried, "I assumed that you loved me?"

Despite the deep blush that rose to her cheeks, Matsumoto steadily responded, "No. You assumed that love was enough to keep me from doing what's right." Raising her sword, she moved in front of the line of males that had formed in front of her and declared, "The next time I see you, I won't give you a chance to hurt anyone again. Now go crawl back to Aizen before I do what I should've done a long time ago."

"You'll _die_," he stated, as though it were a revelation.

"But unlike you," Hitsugaya remarked, "she won't die like a dog."

Without warning, Raphael darted straight for Ichimaru, hardly giving the silver-haired man enough time to use his sword to parry one of the katars. Raphael's weapons however, like his sai, were ideal for disarming an opponent, and a simple flick of his wrist was all that was needed to send Ichimaru's weapon clattering to the floor. Before Ichimaru could get any funny ideas, Raphael kicked it away and grabbed Ichimaru by the collar. "Tell Elvis," he snarled in his face, "that if he's plannin' on messin' with Ichigo or any 'a his friends again, he's gotta tangle with _me_ first."

With a smirk, Ichimaru replied, "You won't be around forever, turtle."

Raphael returned the smirk with one of his own, causing Ichimaru's placid expression to fade away into something similar to unease. "Not forever," the turtle agreed. "Just a little longer than _you_." Ichimaru's eyes finally widened enough to see his eye color as both of Raphael's katars rammed into his gut and pushed him back. Raphael thought that the man's eyes were a crimson red, but he couldn't be sure. Everything was red to him, from the color of Ichimaru's eyes to the stain creeping along the white folds of his robes. Red had always been his color. Now he knew why. He was the _Alma Roja_. The red soul. If Ichimaru's eyes really _were_ crimson, it'd be an amusing coincidence.

Raphael was driving Ichimaru towards the portal, his smirk fading away as he growled at the former shinigami. There was only one way to end this. Hitsugaya had known, and it seemed like Matsumoto never raised any argument against it. Ichimaru needed to be taken back to Hueco Mundo... and Raphael needed to follow him.

Leading Ichimaru towards the shimmery black portal, Raphael dislodged his weapons from the man's abdomen. No longer held upright by the strong hold of the turtle's weapons, Ichimaru fell backwards. Before disappearing into the portal , it looked as though he held out a hand for someone or something behind Raphael, but Raphael didn't know for sure nor did he care.

He was about to follow after him, but he felt a hand on his arm pull him back. "Raph, no!" Turning, he was surprised to see Leonardo behind him; there was a time when Leonardo would have yanked him halfway across the room if he had known what he was about to do. Was Raphael really _that_ much stronger now that he was in this form?

Shrugging his brother off of him, he commanded, "Don't try to stop me, Leo. We both know what I gotta do. I stay here, Soul Society comes down with me."

"It's not Soul Society I'm worried about," Leonardo told him desperately.

With a small laugh, Raphael replied, "I know. That's why I gotta get goin'. Don't wanna end up taking _you_ out, too."

"Raphael." He looked up to see Ichigo put his sword down. Ichigo was looking down, his brown eyes obviously pained. It was then that he noticed that Leonardo had been the only one to approach him. Everyone else-even his family-maintained their distance. "I wish I could tell you to stay," Ichigo continued quietly. "But that isn't for me to say. All I _can_ say is that I'm very happy to have met you." As he looked up at Raphael, a small, sad smile touched his lips as he concluded, "Now get out of here before you kill us all."

"It doesn't have to _be_ this way!" Michelangelo cried out unexpectedly.

"Michelangelo," Splinter whispered, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"No!" Michelangelo argued. "It just doesn't! His body's right there in the other room. We can put him back and it'll all be okay. There's no reason for him to get all nuclear on us, is there?"

"It's over, Mikey," Raphael told him sternly. "They used some kind of magic on me and took away my chain 'a fate. If it weren't for the fact that I had Ichigo's shinigami badge, I woulda imploded right away. As it is, all I did was gain us enough time to push the baddies back." Turning away from them, he clenched his fists against the handles of his katars and stared into the inky blackness in front of him. "Now it's time to quit stallin'."

Before anyone could stop him, Raphael ran straight into the portal.

Raphael thought he might've heard someone call out to him before he took off into the black tunnel, but the sound quickly faded away as he continued to move, trying to put as much distance between himself and his loved ones as possible. It wasn't so much dying that bothered him as it was the thought of being responsible for the deaths of so many good people. He had already gotten a woman killed during the _Menos Grande_ incident that afternoon; if there was going to be blood on his hands, he'd want to make sure that it was shed by people who deserved it.

Ahead of him, he was surprised to see the dark-skinned man called Kaname appear out of nowhere. Instead of slowing down, Raphael doubled his speed and held out his katars, aiming to plough straight through the man who no doubt planned to stop him. When Kaname slashed out with his sword, Raphael ducked as he saw numerous tiny blades emerge from the sword's trajectory, none of them coming close enough to pose a threat.

"Heh," Raphael called to the man who put his sword down. "What are ya, blind? Ya didn't get nowhere near me." It was only when he heard a loud scream from behind him that he came to a sudden halt. That voice... it sounded like....

"Yes," Kaname answered evenly, "I _am_ blind. Even so, what makes you think I was aiming for you?" Without waiting for a reply from Raphael, he turned around and began walking back towards Hueco Mundo. "I admit it's a low trick to make you retrace your steps, but after what you did to Grimmjow and Gin, I find myself more interested in self-preservation. Sayonara, turtle. You wouldn't want to miss his last moments."

Raphael stood there, feeling himself grow feverish. He didn't know if it was a result of his worry or of the fact that his time was running short. How much further to Hueco Mundo? Would he even make it there before his soul just... gave out? What would happen if time ran out while he was still in the portal? If he ran the risks of Hueco Mundo _and_ Soul Society being destroyed, shouldn't he at least satisfy his curiosity and go back to see...? But then, what would be the point? They'd get healers or something for him, wouldn't they?

Annoyed by the barrage of questions that flooded his mind, Raphael made an enraged sound and ran back. Damn Aizen. He knew he couldn't just stand back without checking back on his family. He knew that he wouldn't be able to _not_ be there during his father's last moments. He'd send one of his lackeys to strike an old man just to fulfill his own needs.

Stumbling back into the black and white cavern that was located in Soul Society, Raphael panted hard as he looked down at the mess in front of him. It seemed as though most of the people there had gotten hit with one of the blades, though most of them were minor cuts. Still, that meant that there was blood everywhere. More red. More destruction. He truly _was_ the A_lma Roja_.

"Raph?" Donatello asked, upon seeing his brother. "Raph, wha-... oh. You heard the screams." His voice trailed down to a thin whisper as he looked down at the two huddled forms on the ground, his throat clicking as he swallowed hard.

Saying that Raphael was surprised would have been an understatement. He had heard Splinter's voice scream loudly and passionately, but he had forgotten that his sensei wouldn't view his own demise with anything but a quiet dignity. On his knees, Splinter's bowed head and heaving shoulders made it clear to see the blade that had lodged itself in his arm, bleeding profusely but not being the source of his sobs.

It was seeing Leonardo lying motionless on the floor that caused the sensei and his students to resort to tears, something that they had never done as a group. Hitsugaya had taken out what looked like a cell phone and was speaking urgently into it as he requested medical back-up. Matsumoto and Ichigo simply looked on, both shocked and saddened. They too had suffered minor injuries, but were simply applying pressure to the wounds as they gazed down at the mourning mutants.

"No," Raphael finally whispered. "It happened cuz 'a me. I didn't...." Looking up at Ichigo, he stated, "I couldn't see the _Menos_, so I called 'im. That's all it was. I just needed 'im to be my eyes. I didn't-"

"Raph?"

Raphael looked down upon hearing a weak, strained version of Leonardo's voice. Forgetting about his headache and general queasiness, he dropped down to his knees besides his brother, nearly knocking Michelangelo away. "Leo, you're okay!" Seeing the black blood pouring from a wound on the bottom left of his plastron, Raphael could only snap his mouth shut. It looked as though he had been hit on his left side and someone had hastily removed the blade before realizing that the effort would be futile. After a moment of watching Leonardo's eyes failing to fix on his, he asked, "Donnie?"

It was a long time before Donatello answered. "As far as I could tell, his liver's been pierced. Or maybe his stomach. Or... well, there are a lot of vital organs around there, and judging by the discoloration of the blood, _some_thing's been pierced. If he doesn't get medical attention soon...."

Putting his communicator away, Hitsugaya proclaimed, "I just spoke to the captain of the fourth squad, which is comprised of our healers. They've pinpointed our location and are sending a squadron out right away. They should be here in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Donatello asked. It seemed like he was about to say something, but he didn't need to. The tone of his voice said it all; they might not _have_ ten minutes.

As though allowing a moment to pass to take this in, Hitsugaya brought up, "A special forces unit has also been deployed. They should arrive at any moment. If we can improvise a stretcher, two of them can use the flash step and take him back to-"

He was interrupted by a loud, long scream from Raphael. Being the closest to him, Michelangelo made a surprised cry and arched back. It was the first time since Leonardo was struck that Splinter ventured a look upwards. As for the three shinigami, they knew exactly what was happening. While Hitsugaya and Matsumoto each took a step back, Ichigo stepped forward and even reached out towards the turtle that had become his friend. "Raphael...."

Donatello, the only turtle that had been on his feet, moved backwards and nearly bumped into Ichigo. "This is it, isn't it? We're about to watch the world's first soul... what, go back from where it came? Help me out on the theological aspects of this."

"I don't think theology is what I'd call it," Ichigo murmured, noting the sudden increase in heat.

"Call me crazy," Donatello nearly whimpered, "but I'm suddenly _really_ interested in theology."

Michelangelo jumped up to his feet and backed away from Raphael. He was loath to do it, but he couldn't help himself. There was a definite temperature increase in the room, and it stemmed from his still-yelling brother. "End of the world as we know it," he remarked quietly to no one in particular. "Wish I could say that I feel fine."

Splinter merely stared at his incensed son, his grief for Leonardo making it difficult to chastise Raphael. Then again, given the circumstances, he doubted if chastisement was the proper course. Leonardo was failing fast. And the only hope for Soul Society would have been for Raphael to escape to Hueco Mundo. Given his current temperament, Splinter doubted very much that anything could change Raphael's course now. With a short prayer, Splinter reflected on the fact that he was thankful to be given the chance to go alongside his sons.

"Captain," Matsumoto said, placing a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder. Though he said nothing and didn't turn to look at her, Matsumoto was grateful for the touch of his hand on hers as he squeezed it gently. They had worked well together for years, becoming an unlikely yet successful pair, and both of them considered it an honor to stand by one another until the end. They had lost, and Aizen had won. It was best to accept defeat along with the minor victories along the way.

Raphael's cry had initially been one of anguish, but it steadily turned into something more practical: pain. He could feel something deep within the center of his being, as though a match had just been lit and every inch of him was slowly catching fire. His hands clutched at his head as his eyes squeezed shut, the crimson after-images behind his eyelids doing nothing to ease his headache. So, this was what it was like when your soul collapsed, huh?

Donatello saw it first, the pale dim light that seemed to radiate from Raphael's chest. _His heart_, the turtle realized. _I guess early philosophers had something when they claimed our souls are in our hearts._ Had he not been preoccupied by the thought of imminent death, he would have wondered over the mechanics of Raphael's shinigami form being partially him and partially this _Alma Roja_. After all, wasn't his body still in the next room, and his soul...? But that was something he'd have all eternity to figure out in the afterlife, assuming there was one.

Michelangelo covered his eyes as the red light grew ever-brighter, making him think of some old adventure movie he had once seen where a giant ruby bathed everyone around it in a scarlet glow. _That's all this is_, he tried telling himself. _Just a bath in a nice warm light. We deserve a good rest, right?_ His chest tightened with the fear that always comes when one expects death, but he was proud of himself. He wasn't screaming, he wasn't crying, and he was about to meet his maker. That putz could probably use a good shell-kicking, after all.

All inner monologues came to an end when the entire cavern was covered in the eerie red light and Raphael's screams faded away. Ichigo kept his eyes open for as long as he could, watching the turtle simply vanish into burgundy particles that in turn dissipated. He felt an oddly tingling sensation from within him, and that was when he closed his eyes, thought of his father and his sisters, and got ready for whatever was going to happen next.

It was a long time before anyone moved, as everyone had done as Ichigo had and simply closed themselves off in preparation for death. It was Michelangelo who opened a single eye first and gazed around the room. He felt... odd. There was really no other way to describe it. He could feel the cold stone floor beneath his feet and smell the acrid blood coming from the various open wounds and see the slightest trembles from Splinter's whiskers. Touching his chest, he marveled at the feel of his plastron beneath his fingertips and noticed that his scars all had a different texture to them, as though they were each trying to tell their own story. He was about to grin at this strange outcome when a thought suddenly hit him. "Am I dead?"

His voice jarred everyone else out of it. Michelangelo also flinched at the sound of his own voice. He had thought that he was speaking only loud enough to be heard but... why did it seem so much louder?

After a few moments in which everyone was marveling over these same discoveries, Michelangelo snapped his fingers, amused at the way the sound reverberated off the walls. "Vampires! In Anne Rice books, when a person becomes a vampire, they get all these weird heightened senses." Noticing the strange glances he was receiving from the shinigami, he shrugged and admitted, "Okay, maybe not."

"Sensei?"

Everyone forgot about Michelangelo's strange suggestion when Leonardo's voice spoke much more clearly than it had only moments before. Michelangelo and Donatello rushed to kneel besides their wounded brother, seeing him attempting to sit up. "Leo, don't!" Donatello exclaimed. "You'll aggravate your injuries."

"Unless he's a vampire," Michelangelo muttered.

"I feel fine," Leonardo protested. He winced a little, putting a hand to his injury. "For the most part. For a turtle who just narrowly avoided being a shish kabob, I mean." After seeing that he was telling the truth, Splinter reached over and embraced him. Michelangelo and Donatello looked at one another before deciding that the questions could wait until later. After a shrug, they joined in on the hugs.

Moving towards Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest and quietly told them in Japanese, "I thought we were supposed to evaporate into absolute nothingness. Instead, I feel like I can outrun Yoruichi and wipe that dumb smile off Urahara's face. Did your brains over at Sereitei get their calculations mixed up? Again?"

Hitsugaya looked down and said nothing, apparently deep in thought. Matsumoto, however, didn't seem to be one for questions. All she knew was that she was alive. And, running her hands over her arms, she also noted, "I've got such beautiful skin! Why didn't you ever tell me it was so soft, Captain? Look, Ichigo, doesn't it feel nice?"

As Matsumoto practically threw herself against Ichigo, the orange-haired boy stepped back and sputtered, "Get off me, Rangiku! It doesn't matter how nice you feel! You're all cut up, and so am I. So's Leonardo and Splinter-sama. Don't you think it's a bit weird that we suddenly don't feel any pain?"

"Speak for yourself," Leonardo remarked, finally prying away from the hugs. "I'm in plenty of pain. But when a person's got his vital organs punctured, I guess that's to be expected." As though just noticing it, he looked down at himself and remarked, "It looks like the bleeding's stopped, though."

"Where is Raphael?" Splinter asked. After ascertaining that Leonardo was all right, he had been looking at the spot where Raphael last knelt, hoping against hope that his family would still be intact. When no one answered, he turned back to the group of shinigami, having heard Ichigo's Japanese portion of the conversation. "It would appear that Kurosaki-san's estimation about the calculations being wrong is correct. Rather than destroy, the _Alma Roja_ seems to have imbued us with greater strength and resiliency than we had before; it would appear Soul Society has not yet learned that just because something is more powerful, it does not necessarily mean that it will cause destruction."

He waited for a moment, as though looking to see if this point was understood by the shinigami. Seeing Hitsugaya's firm nod, Splinter contented himself with that and continued, "I had hoped that perhaps Raphael's life would have been spared. However, with his soul gone-"

"He gave each of us a bit of his strength," Leonardo affirmed, determined not to accept the evidence that told him his brother was gone. "Maybe he knew that on some level, and that's why he came back. All we can do is be grateful for that."

The seven of them fell silent for a moment, pondering Splinter and Leonardo's words. Ichigo didn't believe that Raphael expected to save his family; he had only wanted to be there with them. It was a selfish part of the turtle that Ichigo recognized all too well, having seen it in himself more times than he would have liked to admit. Still, if he and Raphael were as much alike as he believed, then he knew that Raphael would be happy knowing that he had, in actuality, saved those he loved rather than doomed them. That is, if any part of Raphael existed at all anymore.

All of them looked up when several black-clad figures raced into the room. They would have had them surrounded, had their newfound perceptiveness not alerted them to their presence much sooner than they should have been. Reaching a hand up for his bo, Donatello stood and commented, "Great, and here I thought _we_ were the only ninjas in Soul Society."

"Put down your weapons," Hitsugaya said when he saw Michelangelo mimic his brother's reaction. "They're not here to fight. They're the special forces unit I told you about." As a woman clad in white shinigami robes designating herself as the captain strolled in, Hitsugaya looked at her and stated, "You're late."

"We were detained," she replied briskly. "Three _arrancar_. No doubt set there to delay us. Speaking of detainment, where's this _Alma Roja_? We can try sedating it before it causes too much damage."

Before anyone could say anything, a groan came from the adjoining room. Everyone whirled around to face the dark entranceway. Even as the woman silently motioned for two of her men to approach the door, the four mutants and three shinigami held out a small vestige of hope.

It seemed like a long time before the special forces shinigami that entered the room reemerged. "Well," inquired their captain, "who's in there?" One of them merely shrugged before pointing a thumb into the room.

No sooner had the gesture been made did Raphael stagger out into the main cavern. "Oh man, my head." Looking up in surprise at his family's joyful outburst, he winced and told them, "Yeah, nice to see ya, too. Now somebody get me some aspirin and point me in the direction 'a my bed. And when ya see Ichigo again, tell 'im that I ain't gettin' mixed up in no more 'a these stupid shinigami adventures."

"What do you mean, 'when we see Ichigo?'" Michelangelo asked. Pointing to the shinigami behind them, he remarked, "He's right-"

"His spirit power is low again," Ichigo realized. "He won't be able to see or hear me until I'm back in my body. He probably doesn't even know there's anyone in the room other than the four of you."

Proving Ichigo's point, Raphael spoke even as the shinigami was talking. "He's right about _what_?" Blinking, he grabbed his head and groaned again. "He's in here, ain't he? I just can't see 'im. And lemme guess, Urahara and that Yoruichi chick are hiding around the corner, ain't they? Please tell me that everything that happened was a _really_ screwed-up practice session, because I'm really feelin' the need to pummel somebody for this."

The family looked at one another before glancing back at the shinigami, as though seeking advice on their next course of action. After a few exchanges of eye contact between the two present captains, Hitsugaya announced. "Soi Fon's men will need to take Raphael back to Sereitei for some brief examinations." Seeing Ichigo's concerned expression, Hitsugaya quickly clarified, "All of you are welcome to accompany him, since most of us need to be patched up anyway. Afterwards, you're free to return to the physical world. And depending upon what we may or may not discover about the affects of the _Alma Roja_ on all of us, you can choose to forget we ever existed."

As the group mulled over their options, Raphael gave up on waiting for a response and simply fell to the floor, welcoming unconsciousness once again.


	10. Chapter 10

"Raphael-san! Are you better?"

Raphael gave Yuzu a small smile as he stepped into the hotel suite. "I swear you keep askin' me that same question every time we see each other, kid. Ya worry too much, ya know that?" Not waiting for an answer, Raphael looked around the main room of the suite. "Is your brother home?"

He flinched when he heard an all-too familiar voice sweetly call out, "Raphael-san!" Turning around, he saw Urahara emerge from one of the bedrooms, just placing his green-and-white striped hat onto his head. "My, what an unexpected surprise! Yuzu, go fix our guest some tea, would you, please?"

"_Hai_!" Yuzu answered enthusiastically, heading towards another portion of the suite.

Raphael waited until the girl was out of earshot before crossing his arms over his chest and staring grimly at Urahara. "What are _you_ doin' here, blondie? I coulda sworn this hotel don't take in pets."

"Precisely!" Urahara responded cheerfully, holding up a finger as though proving a valid point. "And that is why the lovely Yoruichi transforms into human form in case the manager should ever be about. But I doubt you came here to talk about hotel policies, unless you're planning on becoming an entrepreneur like myself. Won't you have a seat?"

"No, I won't," Raphael answered tersely. "I don't sit down and chat with people I don't like."

"You don't like _me_?" Urahara asked, feigning shock and disappointment as he sat down on the sofa. "Why, Raphael-san, I'm most surprised. It's quite upsetting for a teacher to discover his pupil doesn't like him. What have I ever done to you?"

"I left my list in my other shell," the turtle answered sarcastically. "But let's start off with the fact that ya knew I was the _Alma Roja_, and ya didn't tell me squat about it. Then, after everyone from my brothers to the shinigami shrimp I had fought off came after me, you and Yoruichi decided to sit back and down a couple 'a margaritas, or whatever it was that ya were doin'. We coulda used ya in that fight, y'know. Leo wouldn't've gotten himself stuck like a pig if Yoruichi coulda used her super speed to push 'im away, and from what I've heard, you know a thing or two about portals. Ya coulda closed that thing up after I went through to Hueco Mundo, and then Kaname's sword wouldn't have cut everybody up like that."

"And then the _Alma Roja_ would have gone off in Hueco Mundo, imbuing Aizen and all of his Espada with even more power than they already possess," came the reply. "And I highly doubt they would have treated you as a respected houseguest."

"What happened was all for the best, sure," Raphael argued. "But that don't mean that ya _knew_ how it was gonna turn out, so the way ya acted was pretty crummy." After a brief pause, he asked, "_Did_ ya know how it was gonna turn out?"

With a small chuckle, Urahara remarked, "My dear boy, if I knew half of the things people give me credit for knowing, I'd be on top of the world. As it is, I already know half of the things that people _don't_ give me credit for knowing, so can you imagine what my grand omnipotence would be like?"

"A simple 'no' would work just fine," Raphael muttered.

At that moment, Ichigo came out from the bathroom, his wet hair indicative of a recent shower. "Hey," he said upon seeing Raphael. "I thought I heard your voice. Is Urahara giving you problems again?"

"My, my," Urahara coyly proclaimed. "You'd think I'm _such_ a troublemaker."

"He's just bossin' your sister around, havin' her make me a cup 'a tea," Raphael answered, finally sitting down in an easy chair upon seeing Ichigo sit on the arm of the sofa. "Not like I need it. Splinter's been givin' me more tea than I can stand... which ain't saying much, considerin' I prefer a Coke."

"He probably doesn't want you getting drugged by sugar and caffeine," Ichigo commented. "Considering that we're lucky you didn't turn out to be a... what was that word? We just saw a movie about them the other night."

"Zombie?" Urahara offered.

"That's right, a zombie," Ichigo continued. "I mean, basically, your soul just...."

He trailed off again, both because the word "dissipated" eluded him and because he caught the expression on Raphael's face and decided it wasn't a prime conversational topic. After several hours of examinations in Sereitei, it was discovered that Leonardo and Splinter's assessment had been correct. When the _Alma Roja_ dissolved, it took Raphael's soul with it, and that soul was combined with the primal energy of the dying _Alma Roja_ and forced into those present. A small bit of Raphael's original soul remained in his body and allowed him to live, but it was the bit that controlled instinct, habit, and primary life functions; higher processes and the reincarnation cycle were effectively obliterated.

In short, Raphael had given his family and friends more power than he even knew he had, and was left slower, weaker, and with no hope of life after this one. He knew for certain that his death would be final and he wouldn't come back, not as a reptile or a human being, nor even as a spirit in Soul Society. He'd simply cease to be.

At length, Yuzu returned with a mug of tea for Raphael, but she also saw the look on his face and decided against saying anything as she placed it on the coffee table. Deciding it best to leave her brother to talk with his strange friends, she went to the bedroom that she shared with Karin, knowing full well that her sister would probably be listening at the door during the entire discussion.

It was a long time before Raphael quietly reached out and took hold of the mug, simply wrapping his hand around it for a moment before picking it up and sitting back in his seat. He didn't like the silence, but he found himself being too sluggish to keep up his loud tirades or animated conversations for long. "Sluggish" wasn't a word he'd use to describe himself until after... well, until after a piece of his soul was literally torn away.

"It's not so bad, really," Raphael finally said, choosing to look into the steaming amber liquid in his cup rather than at the two men sitting opposite him. "When ya boil it down, I'm just normal now. Things always felt more intense before: the anger, the pain, the... y'know, everything. Now I'm just your regular Joe, and you sorry saps are the ones that gotta experience everything with that kinda feeling. Hell, I bet Ichigo can't even hold this mug cuz it's too hot for his delicate fingers now. Heh." His short chuckle was a half-hearted one, as he knew it was quite obvious that he was reaching.

Putting the mug down, he looked up at them resolutely and stated, "I want it back. All of it. There are times when I can't sleep, cuz I want to feel all that again, especially now that I know what it was burnin' beneath my skin. And at the same time... now I _can_ sleep, most 'a the time. I'm calm. I can meditate for more than ten seconds. That restlessness wasn't me, even though it was. And now that it ain't here... I just gotta adjust." Looking down again, he breathed, "Why didn't nobody tell me adjusting was so hard?"

Ichigo didn't know what to say, and so Urahara allowed for a moment of quiet to pass before cheerfully stating, "Well then, there's a simple way to solve this! Don't adjust!"

Both Ichigo and Raphael whirled around to gape at him. "I knew you was a whackjob, sandal man," Raphael remarked, "but I thought the wackiness took a vacation every couple 'a minutes."

With a small smile, Urahara's voice mellowed out slightly as he replied, "Just as Kurosaki is a stranger in your land, you're now learning how to walk in _his_ shoes. Before he became a substitute shinigami, Kurosaki did his homework, ate his vegetables, and watched his television programs, all without ever thinking about saving the world. And yet, even this 'regular Joe' managed to rise above that just because his family needed him one night. A part of you is elsewhere, Raphael-san. That doesn't mean you can't get it back when you need it."

"The _Alma Roja_ is gone," Raphael reminded him. "Finished, kaput, outta here. It don't matter _how_ bad I need it, it ain't gonna come back just because-" He was cut off by a sharp whack on the knee by Urahara's cane. "Ow! What the-?"

"Who told you that the _Alma Roja_ is gone forever?" Urahara queried.

"The brains at Soul Society!" Raphael exclaimed.

"They're also the ones who thought that the _Alma Roja_ would kill us all," came the response. "I'm willing to bet that, where they're wrong once, they can be wrong again." Leaning forward, Urahara continued, "A part of the _Alma Roja_ is still alive, Raphael. It's inside Kurosaki. It's inside Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Hitsugaya. And it's inside of every member of your family. But it was inside of _you_ for all of these years. If you need it, it will know. If you call to it, it will answer."

Raphael narrowed his eyes at the man before asking, "Do you really believe that?"

With a smile, Urahara replied, "If nothing else, it will give you something to focus on during your meditations, no?" Rising to his feet, he declared, "The only way you can lose the war isn't by not fighting well enough. It's by not fighting at all. You above all others should know that, I would think."

His serious tone of voice gone, he resorted to being irritatingly cheery as he announced, "And now that Kurosaki-kun's stopped hogging the shower, I think I'll see to my personal hygiene, thank you!" Tipping his hat in Raphael's direction as he headed towards the bathroom, he stated, "Raphael, always a pleasure!"

After Urahara left the room, Raphael looked to Ichigo and asked, "Is he schizophrenic or somethin'?"

"I'm not sure what that means," Ichigo answered. "But if it means crazy, then I'll say definitely." The pair fell silent once again, unsure of how to continue after Raphael's heartfelt admittance. Finally, Ichigo inquired, "How's Leonardo?"

Nodding, Raphael replied, "Good. Real good. Them healers patched him up pretty nice. Not even a scar." Ichigo nodded in response. Before the quiet could loom over them yet again, Raphael brought up, "I heard you was goin' back to Japan tomorrow."

"Who told you that?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

With a smirk, Raphael told him, "A little cat told me. Anyway, I just wanted ya to know, what I... I mean, what the _Alma Roja _said, to Ichimaru about tellin' Aizen never to go near ya again... I meant it. If stuff comes up, if Aizen causes anymore trouble or anythin'... lemme know. I'm not sure what I can do with the way I am now, but if crazy sandal man's right, I've still got a couple 'a surprises up my sleeve."

Ichigo said nothing for a moment before releasing a small smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Not knowing what else to say, Raphael rose to his feet. "Right. So, uh, that's it. Oh, and have a nice trip, I guess. Jetlag's gonna be brutal."

"Tell me about it," Ichigo muttered, also standing and placing his hands in his pockets. "And knowing my dad, he's not going to take it too easy on me, either. And then I have to be back at school on Monday... it won't be a fun week."

"At least you'll have plenty of stories to tell."

"What?" Ichigo asked. "I met a giant talking turtle and his three brothers and rat-sensei, and it turns out the turtle had a soul that we thought was going to destroy the world but ended up giving everyone in the room enhanced speed and strength?"

"Better than _most_ 'What I Did During My Vacation' essays," Raphael told him. "And besides, ya can also say that you saw that Ichimaru bastard stabbed with a pair of super sai, or whatever those were called. I _told_ that bastard I'd stab him in the back the first chance I'd get. Might not have been the back, but I still stabbed 'im."

Smirking, Ichigo complimented, "Nice. I'll have to tell Rukia about that. Apparently, he used to freak her out when she was a kid. Expect a long-distance phone call from a weird girl congratulating you on a job well done."

"I could use a fan club," Raphael remarked. He hesitated for a moment before holding his hand out to Ichigo. "Good times, man. Next time, though, try vacationing in Switzerland."

With a small laugh, Ichigo took the offered hand and shook it. "Right. It was fun. Though it would have been more fun if you didn't chase me around when there's a _Menos_ on the loose. You cramp my style."

"Cramp your style?" Raphael chuckled. "Your English is gettin' too good if you're pickin' up expressions like that."

"HBO is a wonderful thing," Ichigo declared.

They lingered for a moment, two beings so different in appearance and yet so similar in behavior that it was almost uncanny. Raphael briefly thought back to their sparring match but quickly pushed the memory out of his mind when he realized that he probably wouldn't be able to fight like that in a long time, if ever again. Moving towards the door, he said, "So long, Ichigo."

"Raphael." The turtle stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Ichigo disappear into his bedroom before coming out with what looked like some kind of emblem on a chain. When he offered it to him, Raphael took it in his hand and saw the same skull design that was printed on the bottom of Urahara's cane, the one that had knocked his soul out of his body for that training session.

"It's not a shinigami badge," Ichigo told him. "Still, it should help you. Captain Kurotsuchi said he managed to give you a new chain of fate to keep you alive, so Toushiro gave this to me to give to you. Who knows? Maybe you'll find that you're a lot stronger than you think you are. Like you said, the abilities you had before separating from the _Alma Roja_ weren't yours, but they _were_ yours at the same time. Don't just give up."

"Don't stop fightin', huh?" Raphael murmured, looking down at the insignia in his hand.

Shrugging, Ichigo murmured, "Unless you _want_ to lose the war." Seeing Raphael's small smile, Ichigo realized, "I don't think you do, though. Not if you're like me."

Looking up at the tall teenager, Raphael asked, "Yeah? And what are ya?"

"Just a tourist," Ichigo replied. "A tourist determined not to look stupid with a camera around his neck and a map in his hands. A stranger in a strange land, out to prove that there's no land so strange that you can't make it your own. That's what adjusting is all about, Raphael. It's not the same as accepting. It's knowing who you are, what you want, and what you need, and not being afraid to pursue it. Americans have that written down somewhere, don't they? 'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' You're not happy being just a normal John. So do all you can to be something else."

Raphael stared up at him, at a loss for words. Finally, he remembered that he was supposed to be determined not to look stupid, and so he swallowed back the lump of emotion in his throat and told Ichigo, "Joe."

"What?"

"The phrase is 'normal Joe,' not John. A john is somethin' completely different."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Ichigo remarked, "No one ever said my English was perfect." After a beat, he mentioned, "It won't get much better if I spend my next vacation in Switzerland, will it?"

"Are ya sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"

"Maybe," Ichigo replied. "What's the weather like in England in the summertime?"

Laughing, Raphael shook his head and responded with, "Good one, kid. Real nice." Holding his hand up for a high-five, he and Ichigo clapped hands one last time as he said, "You ever find yourself on this side 'a the planet again, look me up. Maybe I'll master this whole out-of-body experience thing yet."

"Will do," Ichigo agreed as he watched the turtle go down the corridor. Casting a wave as Raphael spared him one last glance before disappearing down a stairwell, Ichigo leaned on the doorway for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest.

A strange thought occurred to Ichigo. Tomorrow, he would cease to be a tourist as he headed back home to Karakura. And right now, at this very moment, Raphael's tourism into the realms of normalcy was just beginning. Ichigo had come back from his sightseeing all the stronger for it. He sincerely hoped that Raphael would come back at all. Because a normal Raphael seemed absolutely boring.

Hearing his sisters calling to him, Ichigo went back into his suite and closed the door behind him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long delay between chapters, but it's finally finished! I hope you all enjoyed this crossover, as it really was a blast to write. Thanks for reading! :)


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